Black & White Heart
by StarRose
Summary: Two sides, one heart, and a love that nothing can break. Haru is determined to win Yuki's heart, but with a male stalker, obsessive fangirls, and Yuki's own unwillingness, he's in for a tough challenge! Good thing Ayame and Shigure are around to 'help'...
1. Home Sweet Home

**Black & White Heart**

By StarRose

2nd January 2004

Disclaimer: Only borrowing will return them in one piece, honestly…you don't believe me? Why not?…..I'll set Hana on you if you don't…..ah, now isn't that better?

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AN: HI ALL YOU LOVELY PEOPLE!! Big fan of all things Yuki and Haru, this is my first Fruits Basket fanfic altogether. It is based on the English dubbed version of the anime, not the Japanese or the Manga as at the time I wrote this I had neither. Also, this is a YAOI fanfic, boy&boy love, so if you don't like that or can't take it in good humour than go away, flames from people like that aren't even worth reading!

Still here? GREAT!

Enjoy!

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**Chapter One: Home Sweet Home **

Yuki's sleepy purple eyes slowly opened to the bright sunlight peeking through the crack in his curtain. Groaning softly and shutting his eyes again, he pulled the covers over his head to block out the offending light that was the dreaded morning.

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Shigure was knelling peacefully at the table nurturing a cup of tea and watching Tohru skit around the kitchen making breakfast. All manner of delicious smells were floating his way and he wondered what it was she was making. He had an eye line of the fridge from where he was sitting and Tohru, little white apron securely around her waist, kept on going back and forth from it, but he couldn't make out what she was getting every time. He turned his head towards the stairs and found Kyo making his way down toward them, flopping down the other side of Shigure and yawning.

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Yuki had just found a comfortable position in his nice soft and warm bed when his alarm clock decided to scream at him. Growling under his breath, he flipped one arm out from under the covers and flailed blindingly behind him for the alarm sitting on his desk.

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"Good morning Kyo!" Tohru said cheerfully, placing a large plate full of food on the table in front of him.

"What's this?" Kyo asked, looking at the mountains of sausages, bacon, fried tomatoes, fried potatoes, fried eggs, fried bread… a pattern emerging here.

"It's an 'All English Breakfast'." She exclaimed, still holding a spatula in her hand, "I found the idea in one of the cook books I borrowed out the library." She smiled, heading back into the kitchen and bringing in Shigure's breakfast, along with a jug full of orange juice and glasses.

Kyo stared at the food for a minute before grinning, "Nice," and began to stuff his face.

"Hm, where's Yuki?" Tohru asked while pouring some orange juice into Shigure's glass.

"Oh he's probably still in bed," Shigure answered, glancing at the clock on the wall "I'd say about now his alarm went off and now he's either 1) getting dressed and silently mumbling how much he hates mornings or 2) He's gone back to sleep."

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A now very silent alarm clock lay face down on the floor on the other side of the room as the lump under the bedcovers breathed slowly completely back asleep.

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"I feel really bad for leaving Yuki there like that; he's going to be late for school." Tohru said guiltily, walking at Kyo's side.

"You really want to go in there to actually _wake him up_? You do _know_ what he does to his alarm clocks? You know he's always breaking them, ever think as to why?"

Tohru giggled to herself. Yuki was such a kind-hearted person, but go near him within half an hour of him waking up and your asking for it. Besides, he had done this before and always managed to get to school in time.

Well…just.

The two walked down one of the corridors towards their classroom when Momiji came running down the hallway towards them, apparently in hysterics over something and carrying a large black duffle bag.

Tohru waved towards him, "Hello MomijEEEEEEEE!"

The cloud of dust that was Momiji ran straight past Kyo and Tohru and came to a skidding halt. He spun back around and jumped in front of them.

"Hey Tohru, do you want to see something really funny?" he grinned, rummaging around in the duffle bag.

Just then, a door burst open from down the corridor and a very pissed off looking Haru stood there. He looked down one end of the corridor, and then turned towards the other. Seeing whom Momiji was talking too, Haru suddenly turned a very uncharacteristically bright shade of red.

"MOMIJI DON'T YOU DARE!!!" He screamed, and sprinted after a now yet again running and laughing Momiji, "I'll show you later Tohru!" Momiji shouted back, as Haru raced passed Tohru and Kyo, "OH NO YOU WON'T YOU LITTLE BRAT!!"

"What was that about?" Tohru asked, watching as the two ran down the corridor and through another door.

"I don't even want to know." Said Kyo, walking into their classroom.

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A few minutes later, just as Kyo had started another argument with Uo, their teacher walked in and the class settled down as usual. Tohru looked over at the empty chair that should have been occupied by Yuki and automatically started feeling guilty again.

It's strange, _he always makes it here in time, even if he does sleep in._

"Yuki?" No answer. The teacher looked up from his register, "Yuki Sohma?" He looked at the empty desk and glanced at Kyo, "No Yuki today?"

"Why should I care?" Kyo grumbled.

Tohru immediately stood up as a bundle of nerves, "Umm sir, Yuki is, well, he is coming in, he just, err…"

Suddenly the classroom's door burst open and an out of breath Yuki ran through and slammed the door behind him, pushing with all his strength to keep it closed while someone from the other side was trying to get in.

"Yuukiiii, I'm really sorry, you know I didn't mean too!"

"Go back your class Haru!!"

"But I didn't mean too I'm sorry are you alright?"

"Okay I get it, you're sorry, I'm fine, now go!"

The battle for the door stopped and Yuki paused, releasing his hand from the handle. Taking a step back to make sure it was safe, he turned to his class. He stopped when he saw the looks on everyone's faces. Tohru had a look of mild horror on her face, Kyo looked as though he was about to bust a gut laughing, while the rest of the class had their mouths hanging open in either shock or, in the case of the fan girls, tongues literally hanging out the side of their mouths staring at now a half naked Yuki, white shirt having been torn practically in half, and completely soaking wet.

"Errr, Yuki?" questioned the wide-eyed teacher after what seemed like a far too long pause.

Yuki, as calmly and respectably as possible, took a deep breath and turned to his teacher, "I apologise for my lateness, I ran into, err… someone, on the way over and got pushed into the school fountain. Request that I go and clean myself up before I head to classes."

The teacher continued to stare at him for a moment before blinking, "Sure."

"Thank you." Yuki breathed, walking over and placing his bag on his desk before walking back out the door, leaving a trail of drips on the floor, and avoiding everyone's gaze as humanly possible.

As he opened the door however, something flung its arm around him and pushed him onto the floor, "I'm really sorry about the fountain, I didn't see you! I tried to grab you but I guess all that did was tear your shirt, I didn't hurt you did I?" Haru sat straddling Yuki in the middle of the hallway, many other students stopped in their pathway to stare, as well as a few interested faces peering at them from inside their classroom door. Haru, who seemed completely unaware that he was doing exactly what many a girl in the school would love to, leaned straight over Yuki so they were nose to nose. "You're sure you're alright, nothing broken? No bruises? I'm really sorry."

Yuki lay on the floor with his eyes closed, silently praying that this wasn't happening. "Haru, will you please get off me?" he asked quietly.

Haru blinked, "Oh, yeah, sorry." Haru stood back up and held out a hand for Yuki, who looked at Haru suspiciously for a moment before taking it. Haru however didn't just help him up, for the next moment Yuki found himself in a warm embrace as Haru held him close. "Ah Yuki, I'm glad your okay."

Yuki struggled in his arms embarrassed at the fact that more heads were staring to poke round classroom doors that hadn't been a minute ago.

"Haru please, I'm soaking wet."

"I know." came the sudden deeper voice that held a hint of lust in its depth. _Oh great,_ Yuki thought, for Black Haru had decided to emerge.

That was something the closer Sohma's had come to notice about Haru. When ever Haru turned Black, he'd pick a fight with whoever happened to be in arms reach, but when he went Black around _Yuki_, he didn't pick a fight with him, it was almost as if he tried to, well… seduce him. He seemed to find things a lot sexier when he'd go Black around Yuki, which to everyone else was a relief as they weren't picked on to fight, but for Yuki…

"Haru will you get off me!!!" Yuki panicked.

Yuki's raised voice was something not many people heard, but considering Haru's hands were roaming dangerously lower, with a large audience by this point, Yuki thought he may have to punch some sense back into the Ox, having rather have detention than the whole school knowing his distant cousin had a crush on him, when his saviour finally arrived.

"Hey Haru!"

Haru looked up to see the ecstatically happy Momiji skipping his way, still holding that black duffle bag. Momiji scrambled his way through the crowd that had formed and stood in front of the pair. He looked up at Haru whose hands had just stopped at Yuki's hip and tried not to laugh,

"Ah I see, so who needs what's in here," Momiji held up the bag grinning widely, "when you'll be able to get what you want this e—"

Haru was already in Black mode, he didn't need Momiji showing the world what happened to _be_ in that duffle bag, so, snapping out of his 'Sexy Black' mode and swinging in full to 'Give-me-that-bag-or-prepare-to-go-to-hell' mode, Haru let go of Yuki in a quick flash, grabbing Momiji and slamming his hand over his mouth before he could finish his sentence.

"Say one more word you bastard and I'll tell Hatori I caught you reading one of Shigure's _other_ little novels." Haru growled in his ear.

"WAHHAHHHAHAHHH!" was the only other sound that came from Momiji's mouth as he was dragged down the corridor away from the crowd without another word.

Tohru walked up beside Yuki, watching for the second time that day as Haru and Momiji ran down that same corridor. Yuki stood there and blinked as he watched them go.

"What was that about?" Tohru asked.

"I don't even want to know." Replied Yuki, mildly shaking his head as he walked off towards the bathroom to get cleaned up, blatantly ignoring many a blushing face behind him.

Tohru simply stood there with her finger by her chin staring down the corridor, suddenly having a feeling of Déjà vu.

-----

It was lunchtime by the time Tohru managed to get Yuki by himself to ask what happened that morning. Grabbing her tray and waving to Uo and Hana to join her with Yuki, Tohru sat down beside the School's Prince who smiled warmly at her.

"Miss Honda." Yuki greeted, nodding at the other two who sat down opposite them.

Tohru smiled back at him and took her chopsticks out of the paper packaging. Turning back to him, she opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off by Uo asking exactly the same question she was about to ask.

"So Prince, what was that about this morning then?" she asked, patting herself a Rice ball.

Yuki smiled slightly to himself, "Oh that was my fault. I woke up late and on running to school I bumped into Hatsuharu in the entrance yard who was chasing Momiji, I just fell backwards into the fountain, that was all."

"Well yeah we got that." Uo said, "Could you pass the Soy Sauce Tohru?"

"Oh, sure." Tohru replied, handing her the small bottle.

"Thanks, but why was he trying to get to you so badly when you got back to class?" Uo continued at Yuki, "I mean he was practically trying to break the door down to get to you." She laughed slightly.

"Yes," Hana suddenly agreed, "His electric signals were definitely intense at that moment; he desired to be near you."

"And the guy wouldn't let go of you in the corridor, what exactly was he trying to do to you?"

Both Yuki and Tohru had a rather large sweat drops at the back of their heads at this point.

"Oh err," Yuki stuttered, smiling nervously, "That's just the way he is, he's a very…close, family member."

"Yeah, he wishes." Came a voice from behind them, as Kyo sat down next to Tohru.

"Oh hello Kyo." Smiled the usual cheerful Tohru.

A simple glare was all that Kyo got this time from Yuki, as a slight but noticeable blush had suddenly appeared on his otherwise pale cheeks.

"I'm just going to get another drink," Yuki rose from his seat aware of the sudden heat in his cheeks, "Would anyone else like one?"

"Nah I'm good thanks."

"No, thank you."

"Oh I'm alright Yuki."

Kyo didn't say a word, just looked at him, knowingly smirking.

"Very well." Yuki said, giving Kyo another quick glare for warning before wandering back over to the canteen.

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_What was that?_ Yuki asked himself as he walked over to the drink's cooler and opened the door, _Why does the stupid cat always have to say things that make me feel uncomfortable? _The extra redness that just appeared in his blush disagreed with that statement, as Yuki's train of thought wandered back to Haru hugging him so closely in the corridor. Yuki shook his head, _What am I thinking?_ He pushed the thought that it felt nice to be held that closely by Haru to the back of his mind and grabbed his chosen drink and shut the cooler.

"Yuki."

Yuki stopped the second he turned around to come face to face with the person he'd just been thinking about.

"Haru."

Haru smiled warmly at him before frowning, "You ok? You looked a bit flushed?"

That only caused Yuki's blush to redden even more knowing that this _particular_ person had to have noticed, "Oh no, the sauce was just very hot, that's why I've come to get a drink." He smiled back, desperately willing this blush to disappear.

Haru looked at him for a moment before smiling again, "That's good then." Well at least he was back to White Haru now, which was an improvement. "Listen Yuki, I am really sorry about this morning." Haru said, hanging his head.

Yuki sighed affectionately, "You can stop apologising Haru, really."

"You know I'd never hurt you right?" Haru asked, looking back up at Yuki's eyes.

Yuki looked back into Haru's grey eyes and saw a true protectiveness in them. He didn't know whether to feel happy that someone cared for him so much or angry that he didn't need to be protected so much, even if a part of him that would never admit it wanted to be treated lovingly, "I know." He said after a pause. _Maybe it's just because it's Haru I don't know what to feel like?_

Haru once again stood there smiling at him, not taking his eyes off of his, before grinning and grabbing him into another hug, "Yuki's not mad with me!"

Students, and now teachers, once again stopped and stared.

"Haru!!!!"

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"Man what has been with him today? Did you swallow a Haru Magnet or something? I guess after being ill from school yesterday he needed some lurvin' to make him feel better!" Kyo teased, as he, Tohru and Yuki walked home that afternoon.

"Be quiet you idiot." was Yuki's response as he walked on slightly ahead of the others.

"You know," pondered Tohru, "Haru has been acting very affectionately today, I wonder if something's happened? He hasn't stopped wanting to hug you all day." Tohru smiled innocently.

"It's annoying." Yuki said, half lying as he started to walk a little faster with his head slightly lowered to hide yet another blush that had arisen at the mention of all of Haru's hugs he had given him today.

"Well just be thankful he's not been Black _too _much today." Kyo added, before another thought entered his mind and he smirked towards Yuki, "I guess he's been thinking too much of another distracting thing."

"I said shut up!" Yuki practically shouted in anger, now running the way home to get away from the embarrassment Kyo was causing him, and being angry at himself for blushing at something he shouldn't be.

"Oh Yuki, wait up!" Tohru called out running after him, worrying now that he seemed angry.

Kyo simply chuckled quietly; this was going to be fun, _A brand new way to annoy the Damn Rat._ He soon begun to run after the two ahead of him and it wasn't long before they arrived back at Shigure's house. Now out of breath, the three of them dragged themselves over the porch and Yuki was the one to open the door.

"Ah, you're home." greeted Shigure, kneeling at the table, along with…

"HARU?!" all three of them exclaimed, as Haru knelt opposite Shigure with that black duffle bag with him.

"Hi." He said calmly.

"Oh, have you come to visit?" Tohru asked happily, walking through the door over to Haru.

"Not exactly." He said, looking up at Yuki who hadn't moved from opening the door and just stared wide-eyed back.

"Yep," said Shigure, "Haru is now our newest member to my lovely little household."

"WHAT?" Kyo exclaimed, running over to Shigure.

"Uh huh," Haru said to Kyo, then smiled slyly and looked back up at Yuki,

"Home sweet home."

To Be Continued…

**AN:** Yey! My first chapter! Hope you've enjoyed it so far! Reviewing would be a very _very _lovely thing to do!! LOVE YOU ALL!


	2. Innocent As Could Be

Thank you to my reviewers:

**Ssjgodesschico** – Hhehe, this chapter will answer that question. And the dubbed version, well, I've seen a few episodes in Japanese now and I can tell you one thing, I so prefer Momiji's Japanese voice to his English voice. Japanese Momiji is so sweet, English Momiji is the most annoying brat on the planet!!!

**queenofmasks** – I know!! That's why I thought I'd add one to the very small collection. TO ALL HARU AND YUKI FANS EVERYWHERE!!

**Arinell** – Oh this won't be a one shot don't worry (obviously cos there's a chapter 2 lol). This is going to be a veeery long fic, trust me. ;)

**Jessiegurl43953** – Aww, thank you!! And here is the next chapter as requested :)

**DarkangelWings** – Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't even realise :)

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**AN:** Any flashbacks will be ((( flashback ))).

**-----**

**Chapter 2: Innocent as could be **

"Why the hell is _he_ staying here!?" said Kyo, before glaring towards Shigure, "There's no more room did you ever think of _that_?"

Shigure simply closed his eyes and smiled, "Oh I know that, which is why I am having the house extended to fit in an extra room! The builders should be round here tomorrow." He said, picking up a cup of tea from the table.

"Well why is he here now? Why couldn't he just stay at the main house until it was finished?" Kyo argued, not particularly wanting to live with yet another person who happened to like to pick fights all of the time, especially with him. After all, his fights were reserved for Yuki.

"I have my reasons." Said Haru, who suddenly rose from the floor to face Kyo.

"Yes that's true," said Shigure," Besides I don't know what you're worrying about Kyo, after all it's not you Haru wants to share a room with until the work's completed."

The room went suddenly silent when all heads turned to look at Yuki, who still hadn't moved from opening the door and seeing Haru sitting there. Yuki blinked when he realised everyone was staring at him,

"Me?"

Shigure chuckled, "Oh dear dear Yuki, our temperamental Haru has chosen you to share his being with, to forever live –"

"Forever?"

"- together in a life of pure love and-" Shigure never got to finish his sentence as Kyo whacked him round the head, "Awww, so mean."

"Why didn't you tell us this morning?"

"What and ruin the surprise?" Shigure grinned.

"SURPRISE!?!?" Kyo screamed, fists clenched at his side before turning on his heel and pushing Yuki out the way of the door and walking out.

Tohru, who had kept unusually quiet during this greeting, and who had been looking at the redness rising in Yuki's cheeks as Shigure was talking, turned to Haru and smiled, "Well in that case, I'd better get dinner started if we have an extra houseguest now."

With that she wandered into the Kitchen, taking one last glance at Yuki. At that same moment, the phone in the hallway began to ring. Shigure shot up from the floor, "Ah, I know who that is!" And with that walked out of the room.

Haru and Yuki were the only ones left. Haru looked at Yuki before walking over to him by the door.

"You don't mind do you?" Yuki didn't answer. "It's just, I obviously can't share with Tohru, I wouldn't be seen dead sharing with Kyo and, well, I don't think I trust Shigure to really stay in the same room as him."

Yuki stared at him for a moment as the realisation sunk in, but hey, it was only for a short while, it should be fine!

…right?

"Of course not." He said warmly.

How could he have known that those three words were going to change his life forever?

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Yuki lay in the bath quietly lost in his own thoughts. The silence was broken as he raised his arm out the water letting the droplets drip back into the bath, and rested the back of his hand on his forehead, as his mind drifted back to the boy who was downstairs helping Tohru with the dinner. There were so many things wrong with this scene. He was boy, Haru was a boy, hell they were related! But somehow, none of that really seemed to matter. _Since when have I started thinking like this?_ Yuki put his hand back in the water and sighed. He thought back to his time at the Main House, Akito, and 'that' room. 'That' room that whenever he'd be allowed out, the first thing he would do would be to go and find Haru. His parents couldn't care less, his brother was never around, and he didn't feel like he could open up to any of the other older Sohma's, even if they were nice to him like Shigure was. Well, he didn't really want to see them anyway. They all knew what Akito did to him, but they never tried to stop him. He never really knew why. But that day that he and Haru had become friends, he was the only one he wanted to see. If he was happy, he'd want to go and play with Haru, if he was sad, he'd want to be near Haru, if he was sick, he could always count on Haru to visit him. The whole time, Haru was there the whole time, always looking after him, always smiling at him, always.

Then there came that day.

Yuki thought back to that day, back to the day when he realised Haru might care for him a little more than just friends. It was a few weeks after Haru's 13th birthday when it happened. Haru had turned Black, like so many other days, but this time, had acted a little differently.

((( "Have you seen Kyo?" asked a sweet Kagura, looking around the Sohma Estate having heard Kyo was back with his Master for a visit.

"No I haven't, for the 8th time no I haven't seen Kyo." Said an irritated Haru who was sitting on the porch of his house trying to do his homework. For the past ¾ of an hour Kagura had searched the same part of the Estate about 8 times and every time she came back would ask Haru that same damn question.

"Are you sure?"

Haru twitched, "Yes I'm sure!"

"Positive? I mean he might be in his Cat form for whatever reason. Have you seen an orange cat?"

An anger mark suddenly popped up on Haru forehead, "No, I haven't seen an orange cat or any kind of cat." His voice was beginning to shake as he tried to hold back his Black side.

Suddenly a footstep noise from behind Kagura made her spin around, "KYO!!!!!" she screamed lovingly, her arms flung out at the side ready to give him a big hug.

Yuki stood there eyes wide as he wasn't expecting to walk around the corner into Kagura's loving arms.

Kagura blinked, "Oh, Yuki? You're not Kyo." She said, still with her arms around his chest.

"No I'm not." Yuki agreed.

"Oh," Kagura removed her arms from around him and walked away. After a few steps she turned back around and ran back to him, "_You_ haven't seen Kyo have you?"

"NO ONE HAS SEEN KYO YOU IDIOT!" Both Kagura and Yuki looked back at Haru as he stood up looking very, very mad. "WILL YOU STOP ASKING THAT SAME DAMN QUESTION IT'S GETTING BLOODY ANNOYING YOU STUPID BITCH!!!"

Kagura blinked, "Haru," she said eyes watering, "………………....IT'S NOT NICE TO SWEAR!!"

The next thing Yuki knew was he was now watching a very hefty fight between the two split personalities that were Hatsuharu and Kagura.

"Umm, Kagura?" said Yuki, taking a step towards the two.

"JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T UNDESTAND A LOVE LIKE KYO'S AND MINE," Kagura was saying as she pummelled Haru, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AT ALL! YOU CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I LOVE MY KYO!"

"YEAH?" shouted Haru, as he pummelled her just as hard, "WELL I THOUGHT YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE KYO COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT YOU!!! HE ALWAYS RUNS AWAY WHEN YOU'RE AROUND!! BESIDES, WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DON'T UNDERSTAND HUH?"

Kagura's eye flashed with anger, "MY KYO LOVES ME JUST LIKE I LOVE HIM! AND YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOUR NOT IN LOVE LIKE ME!" she squealed.

"YES I AM!!!"

Kagura stopped then and her gentle features returned, "What?" she blinked, "….Who?" she asked, smirking.

"None of your business you stupid girl!"

With that Haru stormed straight past Kagura, grabbed a stunned Yuki's arm and dragged him inside his house and slammed the door behind him. Yuki turned back around, a worried yet curious look on his face.

"Haru, are you alright?"

The next thing he knew he was suddenly swooped up in Haru's arms into a very close hug. After a moment's silence, Haru replied, "I am now."

Yuki stood rigid as Haru's warm body was pressed close to his, his arms wrapped around him as they stood in Haru's living room. Haru didn't move, just stood there holding him, eyes closed as he pressed his cheek against Yuki's silky hair.

"Umm, Haru?" Yuki asked, arms still by his side.

"Put your arms around me. Please?" Yuki suddenly felt very uneasy, but Haru was his friend, his best friend at that, so he attentively rose his arms and placed them around Haru's waist gently. Haru smiled against his hair, "That's better." He sighed.

"Haru?" Yuki asked, "Are you still Black?"

"Maybe." He said teasingly, brushing his cheek against his as he pulled his head back slightly to look at Yuki's eyes.

"Haru?" Yuki said warily, as Haru's face was mere inches away from his.

"Yes Yuki?" Haru said, his voice a little deeper than usual, as he made the gap between them shrink another inch.

"Err, what exactly are you doing?" Yuki asked, now slightly nervous of his friend, as he moved his head back a little more to regain that inch.

Suddenly, something in Haru's strangely yearning eyes changed, and they became softer. He smiled gently and moved forward quickly, kissing the tip of Yuki's nose before stepping back away.

"Come on then, you were going to help me with this weren't you?" Haru said, White mode now apparently back as he pointed to the porch door where his homework sat outside.

Yuki stood there looking strangely at his friend, as if trying to figure something out, then just nodded his head and followed Haru back outside. )))

Ever since that day, Haru had always acted very lovingly around Yuki, especially in his Black Mode, and he didn't seem to mind who knew about it either.

Yuki suddenly felt very glad the bath water had got very cold by now.

Sighing, Yuki rose out of his bath and stepped over the side. He shouldn't think about things like this too much, it would only confuse him.

It was then someone knocked at the door. "Hey Yuki," the door began to open, "Tohru said she didn't put any towels in there yet so-"

Yuki stared at the door and panicked, "No wait I-"

Yuki, half way stepping out of the bath, stood in utter shock and embarrassment as he now stood completely naked in front of Haru who had just walked into the bathroom carrying a large towel in his hands.

The longest silent moment in history as the two boys watched each other get redder and redder.

"Umm, Yuki—"

_POOF!_

A now furiously blushing Rat stood on the bathroom mat before it ran underneath Haru and out the door as fast as its little legs could carry him.

-----

Haru, Kyo and Tohru sat in silence round the table as Shigure finished off his laughing fit, "You—you actually—he ran—" before he burst into another fit of giggles.

"You know it's not that funny." Said Haru, for the simple reason he himself was starting to feel the heat in his cheeks.

"Is Yuki okay?" Tohru asked.

"I don't know," replied Haru, "He ran off."

It was then that Kyo began to snicker to himself, before all of a sudden he gulped down everything off his plate and stood up, "I'm off to find that Rat!"

Tohru's eye glistened all of a sudden and she clapped her hands together, "Oh Kyo, you're worried about Yuki. That's great! Maybe you're finally …ing…"

Tohru trailed off as Kyo began to laugh again, "HA! Like that's ever gonna happen," he said, as he ran off towards to door, "I'm gonna look for him to make sure he knows just how much I'm gonna take the piss out of him! HAHAHAAA!"

He opened the door and ran out into night air laughing all the way.

Tohru blinked stupidly, "Oh."

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"I'm so sorry!" panicked Tohru, bowing to Haru apologetically, "I guess with all that happened I didn't think to get your bed ready in Yuki's room, I'm sorry, I'll do it right away!" she said, hurrying off to the linen cupboard.

"Hey Tohru, I'm staying on the floor anyway, I'm sure I can manage carrying a couple of blankets and a pillow up the stairs." He said, gently moving a frenzied Tohru out of the cupboard and grabbing what he needed instead.

"Well, if you're sure?" Tohru said, sad eyes looking up at him.

Haru winked, "I'm sure."

"Well, okay then." She said reluctantly, "I'll see you tomorrow morning." She smiled.

Haru smiled back and walked up the stairs.

Half way up though he sighed to himself, he didn't mean to make Yuki run off like that, he hoped he'd come back okay. Opening the door to Yuki's darkened room, Haru dumped the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor and headed to the bathroom. On coming back, he looked at the pile on the floor than at Yuki's empty bed. Yuki wasn't here. _I'm sure he wouldn't mind just once right? _Smiling dreamily, Haru climbed under the covers of Yuki's bed and snuggled underneath, breathing in the scent of the person he loved so much. Letting his eyes fall shut and sleep over take him, he let his mind drift away into the pleasant dreams of holding Yuki in this bed.

-----

"Did Yuki ever come back last night?" asked Shigure as he walked up to the breakfast table.

"I dunno." Said Kyo, un-caring, "I couldn't find him in the end." Kyo looked up at Shigure and frowned, "What are you doing?"

Shigure had a brand new camera sitting on the table and was currently reading the instructions, "Hmm?" he said looking up, "Oh this, this is just a camera that Mii said I could use for research, she dropped it round earlier this morning." He said, returning to the instruction booklet. The two sat at the table while Tohru made breakfast as usual, although every time something made an unusual noise; she'd rush to the door to see if Yuki had returned. "Oh I shouldn't worry yourself Tohru," said Shigure, "You know the boys in this family, all running off than mysteriously returning."

Kyo gave Shigure a sideways glance and returned to his drink.

"HARU!!!!!"

Tohru poked her head around the corner of the Kitchen door as Kyo and Shigure frowned at each other.

"Was that…?" began Kyo, before all three of them ran up the stairs.

-----

Haru yawned into the morning light and opened one eye. He had turned over in the night and was now facing the alarm clock, or at least, what looked like a very shabbily repaired alarm clock. Haru grinned sleepily. Prince Yuki, not one for mornings. Reaching over and switching the alarm clock off before it hollered at him, he stuck it on sleep for five more minutes and turned over to get more comfortable. _What the…?_ It felt as though he had draped his arm over something that wasn't there when he had gone to bed. Opening one eye cautiously, he found himself staring back at the angelic sleeping face of Yuki, fast asleep and…

"Naked…." Haru breathed, and finding his eyes growing wider as he realised he was pressed right up against him under the covers. He dared to move, he froze where he was, just staring at the boy currently pressed right up against him.

_It's that dream again_ Haru concluded.

_Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!_

_THE ALARM CLOCK! _Haru suddenly panicked. He must have been staring at Yuki longer than he thought. Slowly Yuki's eyes sleepily opened and Haru watched his expression as dark purple eyes met his own.

Another deafening silence.

"HARU!!!" screamed Yuki, shooting up in his bed and about to jump out when…

…his bedroom door opened.

"Hi." Said Haru, leaning back on his elbows suddenly looking very smug.

A surprisingly grinning Shigure, a disgusted looking Kyo, and a furiously blushing Tohru who had just looked away, stood in the doorway of Yuki's room staring at the two boys sitting in bed together.

"What?" said Haru smiling, as innocent as could be.

To Be Continued…

**AN:** Hhehehe, I wonder how much more embarrassment Yuki can take huh? Only I will know! MWHAHAHAAAA!


	3. The Cutest Thing

**AN:** Ah, got my hands on all of the Japanese episodes now, but I have to say, I think I really do prefer Shigure's English voice actor. Anyways, wow, a sudden mass of reviews! GREAT! KEEP 'EM COMING! :) Thanks to you all!

**Ssjgoddesschico**

**Enjen**

**C-chan** – Yes I can imagine his Japanese voice on that now. LOL Defiantly a LOL

**DarkangelWings** – Oh yes, Shigure with a camera is without a doubt going to be frightening….. (evil cackle)

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi** – Yey! Always happy when you get a non-slasher saying you like a fic like this. I'm glad you like it! And there are defiantly more embarrassing moments! :)

**Polka dot** – LOL Your review really made me laugh. Well, he's certainly trying his hardest ;)

**queenofmasks** – (chants) LONG LIVE HARU/YUKI, LONG LIVE HARU/YUKI….

**xx**** Schizoid**

**chibichibi-neko** – Indeed what more could you ask for? Well, how's about a new chapter? :) COS HERE IT IS!!!

**Aera****-Chan **

**red**** spider **

**a**** breezy era** – LOL Glad you find this funny, I do try! :)

------

**Chapter 3: The Cutest Thing **

"WHAT IN HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?!" screamed Kyo, as Yuki decided jumping out of the bed was probably a bad idea now he had an audience and simply dived back under the covers.

"Sleeping," said Haru calmly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed revealing the fact that he himself was at least not naked, much to everyone's relief. Although Shigure made a mental note to remember for future bribery the black boxer shorts he was wearing with the cartoon style rat print on the front.

"Can everyone please just leave my room?" came a muffled embarrassed voice form under the bed covers.

Haru smiled and leaned back on one elbow, poking the lump under the covers with his other hand, "Aww Yuki, there's no sense in hiding our love anymore."

"Everyone out!" Yuki practically demanded, feeling angry with embarrassment and purposely ignoring Haru's stupid remark!

There was another silent pause before Shigure burst out laughing and ran off down the hallway holding his stomach, followed by Kyo who dragged a stunned Tohru by the wrist away from the scene at the door, her wide eyes not even blinking.

As Yuki's door slowly drifted shut, Haru turned to look back at Yuki, "How is it-"

"That means you too Haru."

Haru blinked.

"Get out."

Okay, so Yuki was angry.

Haru slowly rose from the bed and grabbed his black duffle bag from the floor. Taking one glance back at the top of Yuki's head that was poking out from under the covers, and feeling suddenly guilty for making fun of the situation, walked through the door and shut it behind him.

-----

Tohru knelt polishing the table not quite sure of what to make of Haru, as she watched him sitting on the porch staring out into the surrounding forest. No one had said a word to him when he had walked down the stairs, although Kyo made a point of looking at him revolted for a moment before walking out the door and onto the roof.

Shigure had disappeared as well, to where no one knew but his coat was missing from the stand so Tohru guessed he had just gone for a walk, perhaps to calm down in his case. She looked up as Haru suddenly walked through the porch door and shut it behind him, shivering slightly in the early winter air and headed to the kitchen.

Tohru decided this atmosphere really wasn't comfortable so shot up from her space on the floor, "Haru-"

"Nothing happened." Haru answered the un-asked question. He turned his head to look at her, "I shouldn't worry, I fell asleep and I guess Yuki was just hiding under the covers in his Rat form."

Tohru looked at him shortly then smiled sweetly, "It's okay, it's doesn't matter."

Haru smiled sadly and turned away again. Tohru just watched his back as he stood there looking at nothing in particular. "I didn't mean to make fun of that." He said, lowering his head slightly, "I guess for just one split second my brain wanted to believe that we were actually together, finally telling everyone else about us. I know that sounds really stupid, I guess I annoy myself when I do it. I know very well that Yuki doesn't like me the way I like him, even though he knows exactly how I feel, as does everyone else," he laughed dryly, "Still, I felt so alive when I woke up this morning, I didn't know why Yuki was suddenly there, all I know is that I was really glad he was. I love him. I don't care who knows. I tell him all the time, but I get the feeling he just thinks I'm joking and brushes me aside. It hurts me yes, but I can understand why he does it. I just sometimes wish that, even if he never says it in return, if I say to him 'I love you', if he would just smile at me. He wouldn't have say or do anything, just smile, just to let me know that he knows."

Tohru looked lovingly at Haru now. He must have wanted to say that for so long, and now he's finally been able to tell someone. "I think it's sweet," she said softly, "the way you don't mind what people think of your love." Haru turned around slowly to face her, "If you love someone you should always let them know how you feel. Like my mum, she always said that she loved me, and I always felt so happy when she said it. To know that there was someone out there who would miss me if I went away, or to hug me when I came home, something like that, it's such a nice feeling." Haru watched her closely, listening to every word, "That's what I miss most about my mum," Tohru said, suddenly becoming a little more sombre, "I miss those words, so simple, 'I love you', but to not here it for such a long time, you don't realise until it's gone how much you took that love for granted, how much it affected you at the time, even if you didn't realise it." Tohru stared in a daze at the wall remembering before suddenly snapping out of her trance and looking at Haru right in the eyes, fists clenched in excitement, "So I think it's really good that you like Yuki like that, I just know that he does appreciate it really, even if he won't admit it yet!" she grinned.

Haru simply gazed at her then his rather surprised eyes softened, "They're right you know."

"Hmm?" Tohru blinked.

"There really is something special about you."

Tohru simply blushed in return, "Oh, I don't know about that."

Haru smiled warmly at her, "And you are right, maybe I should keep trying," he said, looking towards the stairs that Yuki still hadn't walked down from this morning. He glanced back at Tohru, "You don't mind do you?"

"Mind?"

"How I feel about Yuki."

Tohru smiled sweetly, "Of course not."

Haru stood there for a moment, before suddenly glaring at her. Walking right up to her he stood only a few inches apart, nose to nose. He looked at her eyes carefully; he didn't like people laughing behind his back. Seeing there was nothing but truth, he smiled, "Good."

Walking away, Haru walked into the kitchen where he was heading in the first place, leaving a blushing Tohru to fall back to the floor and polish the table in a daze.

She only vaguely registered Shigure's camera wasn't lying there anymore.

-----

"Well, I'm off then!" Tohru exclaimed, as she wrapped her scarf around her neck and opened the front door.

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Haru offered.

"Oh no, no, I'm fine." She said, waving her hands in front of her, "You stay here to make sure Yuki is okay if he comes down. I do hope he'll come down for dinner though," she added sadly, "I should get him something special while I'm shopping".

With that she smiled pleasantly and walked through the door off to do her shopping for the weekend.

The house was now pretty quiet, with Kyo presumably still on the roof and Yuki presumably still in his room. Haru, with nothing else better to do for the moment, decided to resort to the dreaded time waster that was homework.

-----

It had been nearly an hour since Tohru had left, and Shigure and Kyo still hadn't returned home. Haru sat on the floor with papers spread out over the table looking exceedingly bored. He had debated several times a minute for the past hour whether or not to go up to Yuki and see if he was all right, when suddenly that said person walked off the last few steps of the stairs and into Haru's vision. When Yuki saw Haru sitting there he froze like a deer in headlights, his cheeks reddening in seeing the person he had just spent the last who knows how many hours thinking about.

"Hey," Haru said carefully, only looking at him through the corner of his eye before lowering his head and trying to think of an answer to his homework to distract him.

Yuki stood there with his heart rate going through the roof before walking evidently more rapidly past Haru into the Kitchen not taking a single look at him. Haru stared at his work sheets with not a single educational thought going though his brain. His pen was paused at the beginning of a blank piece of paper but his mind was completely empty.

Something had changed.

This wasn't the comfortable kind of friendship he had always shared with Yuki since that day. Something had changed. _If we were just friends, why would he feel embarrassed? _Haru sat up straighter and risked a glance into the kitchen. Yuki walked past the door inside the kitchen to the other side and Haru found a small smile curling his lips. You only ever blush if you like someone. You only ever avoid someone if you liked them. _That makes no sense._ Haru considered this thought for a moment before mentally shrugging and telling his brain to _Shut__ up._

He rose from the floor and walked into the Kitchen. Yuki stood by the stove, staring absent-mindingly at the kettle as he waited for it to boil. His back was turned to him so Haru quietly took a cup from the drying rack and walked up behind him.

"Enough water in there for two?" Yuki turned his head sharply in momentary shock as Haru just stood there a few feet away by the counter next to him smiling, "I presume your making tea?"

"Err, yes." Yuki said, looking back at the kettle with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Haru was about to place his cup on the counter when noticed that there was already two cups there with two tea bags all ready and waiting. Haru could have grinned if not for the awkward situation. Looks like Yuki wasn't mad at him anymore, or at least not as much.

_Can't this thing boil any faster?_ Thought Yuki half angrily, he could have sworn Haru had just nudged a little closer.

Ok Haru admitted, he was enjoying this in some peculiar way, for it just simply proved his point more. He was inching ever so slightly closer to Yuki. Yuki didn't move, but he kept quickly glancing at him through the corner of his eye. Haru now stood right next to him, not saying a word. Yuki had found his eyes were now just staring wide at the kettle, realising he was holding his breath but not attempting to breathe anyway. Haru turned his head slightly and smiled slyly. He knew he probably shouldn't be feeling this right now, he needed to explain to Yuki he didn't know he was in the bed when he went to sleep, but seeing him so jittery around him just made him want to hug him.

_Hug him? _Haru's sly little smile became a little wider.

The Kettle finally, after what seemed like years of waiting, whistled its conformation of its contents nice and boiled. Yuki grabbed the handle just as Haru decided to wrap his arms around his waist and pull his back right up against him.

"Haru!!"

Yuki spun around to get out of Haru's grasp, unintentionally taking the kettle with him. Flinging that said Kettle right around and finding half way through it was actually very hot, flung it away from him as Haru wrestled him to ground.

"Well I'm back, I got someth-- AHHH!" Shigure, who had just walked through the kitchen door, had an eye line of a kettle flying straight towards him and ducked just in time to have it crash into the wall and spray the boiling hot water all over Shigure's Kimono. "AHH, HOT!" Shigure screamed, running out of the Kitchen stripping down as he went, "HOT! HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT—"

As he reached for the door handle to run outside into the small stream just around the corner, the door was opened as Kyo and Tohru stood there carrying shopping bags. The two stood there wide-eyed at Shigure whose hand just let go of the one remaining piece of cloth that fell to the ground.

……..

……..

……..

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THIS HOUSE??? EVERYONE'S GOING AROUND NAKED!!!!"

Kyo grabbed Tohru and covered her eyes dragging her into the Kitchen. As he let go of her away from Shigure, they both now found that the kitchen was already occupied….

…By a Black Haru currently trying to strip a struggling Yuki on the Kitchen floor.

"Let go of me!" Yuki shouted, as Haru had him pinned to the floor with a rather insane grin on his face.

"You're not getting away now!!" he laughed maniacally, as he flipped him onto to his front and literally tried to tear off his shirt off his back.

"HOT!!" came Shigure's voice, who seemed to have remember he had boiling water split over him, who Kyo saw run stark naked out the door.

"Ummm…" began Tohru, slowly pointing at the pair in front of them not sure what to do, before Kyo grabbed her again and covered her eyes with his hand, dragging her away from the Kitchen.

"Is there anywhere safe in this damn house!?"

-----

"Well I have to say Haru, I expect Yuki is very glad you don't do that at school."

Now it was Haru's turn to feel extremely embarrassed, as he, Shigure, Tohru and Yuki sat around their table with the nice chilly air filling the room from the huge hole in the paper door. It appeared that by the time Haru had started on Yuki's pants, Yuki had definitely had enough of Haru's behaviour and kicked him straight through the door.

"Yes it does appear that throwing people through my door and onto the porch is one of Yuki's favourite defences." Shigure continued, picking some codfish up with his chopsticks.

Haru didn't say a word. He really didn't want to be there with everyone else at that point, especially not with the person sitting next to him who was…smiling? Haru raised his head to look at Yuki, the winter afternoon sun shining through the hole in the door making his profile seem to glow.

"Haru?"

Haru shook his head slightly and realised that Yuki had turned to look at him and had just asked him something, "Sorry what was that?"

"I said I'm sorry."

Haru blinked. _Yuki_ was sorry?

"No, you shouldn't be the one who's sorry. I went way to far this time and I apologise." Haru said, avoiding Yuki's gaze in guilt, really wishing that he did not have his Black personality.

"Well, I apologise for over reacting this morning." Said Yuki, "When I thought about it afterwards, there was no way you could have known I was in my bed then. Right after I ran out the bathroom I just stayed under the covers, but being so small being in my Rat form you couldn't have known. It wasn't your fault, it was mine for reacting like that."

"No it's my fault." Haru persisted now looking right back at Yuki, Shigure watching rather amused at the apologising tennis match, "I had no excuse at all to do that to you afterwards. I was trying to apologise for this morning but then I turned Black and, I'm just really sorry."

There was a pause where the two just looked each others eyes, silently accepting each other's apology, before Yuki realised this and quickly averted his gaze back to the table, that blush creeping unwillingly back onto his cheeks.

"Awwww, now isn't that just the cutest thing?" said Shigure clasping his hands together by his cheek.

_Oh right, he was here, _they both thought together.

Tohru just smiled. Things were looking up again for Haru.

To Be Continued…


	4. A Sign Of Something Good

**AN:** Sorry for the delay on this chapter, it's just my Boss has now come back from his holiday so I can no longer write my fanfics at work. Hehe, work hard don't I?

Thanks to all my reviewers:

**Ssjgoddesschico** – Hmm, not sure, my writing tends to vary between both. But err, this chapter should bring a little light on what's to come hehe

**a**** breezy era** – (cannot reply to pairings comment for may give something away……………hehehehehe)

**red**** spider** - LOL Just as you say that and I don't update for nearly a week and a half. Oh well, at least you know why I didn't now, and I promise I'll try and write the next chapters quicker. :)

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi **

**Jessiegurl43953** – YEY!! I'm so happy you think so! (bows, bows and bows again)

**DarkangelWings**

**BlueEyes**** Obsessed**

**-----**

**Chapter 4: A Sign Of Something Good **

"Is it safe?"

"Yes it's safe."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure?"

"Where's Haru?"

"In here with me."

"Where's the Rat?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah I wanna know if he's coming back anytime soon."

"I don't know."

"Is Tohru there?"

"She's in the Kitchen making dinner, now will you stop talking from the staircase and come into the room Kyo?"

Kyo slowly rose from his perch on the stair case and jumped down to the bottom, turning to look at Shigure who was studying some plans spread out on the table.

"Please can't it be put closer to Yuki's room?" Haru was saying, pointing at a place on the plans.

"Yes it could, if you think gravity wouldn't mind you suspended in the air. There's nothing to support it. The top floor doesn't quite cover the Kitchen so your room will have to be there."

"But it's over the other side of the corridor upstairs from Yuki."

"Well I guess that means you'll just have to walk a bit further then." Said Shigure, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms, a sudden rather sickeningly familiar smile on his lips, "After all, making you wait longer simply boosts your se-"

"DON'T even say it!" screamed Kyo, "This place is just getting _way_ too perverted for my liking."

It was mid afternoon when the Manager from B&B - Bricks & Buildings had come to the house to run over with Shigure the plans for the new room. And no matter how much Haru begged them to have his room next to (or preferable in) Yuki's room, there was no where to build it but above the Kitchen where there was currently no second floor. He had left around 5.30 with the plans all set. The workers would be coming around early Monday morning and Haru's life at Shigure's house would officially begin.

After lunch Yuki had disappeared off to his Secret Base telling only Tohru, Kyo had hibernated in his room until this strange behaviour had subsided, while Tohru just busied herself with housework, a tiny little smile planted secretly on her lips. She had decided that she was going to help Haru as much as she could to win Yuki over, because no matter how hard Yuki was trying; she could see how he looked at him, especially lately. _It's so cute!_ she thought to herself, a silly grin spreading across her face as she stirred the stew she was making.

"MmmmMmm, something smells delicious." Said Shigure walking through the kitchen, glancing around the room quickly to make sure there were no boiling kettles zooming towards him.

"Yup, it's my beef stew. Kyo said he'd like it for dinner today so I went out to buy the ingredients." Tohru smiled, adding a little dash of salt to the pot.

"Oh I see, so you make requests now do you?"

Tohru twitched slightly in embarrassment, "W-w-well, he just mentioned it, and, well, everyone seemed to like it last time so I thought it would be alright to make it, I mean if you don't wa-"

"Tohru, Tohru." Shigure sighed, "I was only going to ask if we could have stewed leeks tomorrow."

"Do that and I'll stew your next novel." Said Kyo, not even looking at Shigure as he walked over to the fridge.

"Do you need any help for anything Tohru?" Came a voice from the lounge, as Haru poked his head around the corner.

"Oh no thank you, I'm fine."

Haru nodded, "I'm going for a walk then before dinner."

"Okay!" Tohru smiled, waving goodbye to him with one hand as she stirred with the other.

-----

Haru strolled along the vague footpath through the woods. It was quite dark now, the sun hadn't set quite set but the trees blocked out what little light there was. Suddenly, something dashed out from underneath where was about to place his foot. It was a little grey rat that ran off into the bushes. Soon after another one appeared from his right and ran across to the path after the other one.

"Hmm?"

Haru turned and moved off the path through the trees. A minute later he found himself staring at a small piece of land filled with planted vegetables. The two rats he had been following scuttled under a raised tree root. Turning to look around the large tree trunk, Haru's expression changed from curiosity to panic, as he quickly knelt on the ground.

-----

Shigure, stomach full and a placid grin on his face, walked up the stairs towards his room. Yuki and Haru had still not returned and it took a lot of persuading to convince Tohru they would be alright and to serve dinner. Besides, Kyo was in a bad enough mood with all the weird things that had happened today, so a hungry Kyo would have been even worse. Shigure had had an inspirational moment after dinner and so was now just going to his room to pick up the notes he wrote at 2am this morning, then head down to his office to get typing.

But it was walking past Yuki's closed bedroom door when he stopped.

"Stop it Haru that hurts."

Curiosity getting the better of him, he tiptoed right up to the door and listened.

"Sorry. Maybe if I try a different angle."

"OUCH! Now that _really_ hurts!"

Shigure's eyes widened at an alarming rate, _What__ the….?_

"Okay, pass that tube……..there. This should make it feel a little better."

A small sigh escaped Yuki's lips, "Yes, that's better."

Shigure jumped back from the door.

"Maybe if you put your leg up here it would be easier."

There was a moment's pause, "Are you nearly done?" Yuki asked.

"I think so, let me rub it just a little longer."

Shigure BURST through the door, his half alarmed half strangely excited face now staring at Haru who was…

"Hello Shigure."

…Bandaging what looked to be a very painfully swollen foot belonging to Yuki. Shigure didn't realised it but he was breathing rather heavily and now just blinked stupidly at Yuki, resting his leg up on the bed while Haru rubbed some de-inflammation cream on his ankle.

"Err…" Shigure panted, "Wha…what were….what were you…you were just…"

Yuki looked at him questionably, "Shigure what are doing?"

"Umm…" Shigure stared at them, before suddenly standing up straight and putting his arm behind his head, "Me? Hhahaha, err, I was just…err…." He stared at the two boys waiting for him answer, "…bye!"

He ran out of the door not shutting it behind him.

Haru stared at the now Shigure-less space, "What was that?"

"I don't think I want to know." Yuki scowled at that same empty space.

-----

"We didn't hear you come in." said Tohru, thoroughly relieved that they had both returned safely. Well, sort of safely.

"I'm surprised you didn't. I could barely walk up the stairs." Said Yuki, setting down his empty bowl from Tohru's heated up stew.

"Oh it was probably when Kyo was making a fuss over when we were going to eat. He does make quite a racket." Said Shigure, still feeling stupidly uneasy about earlier, especially when Yuki kept glancing at him and glaring.

"Will you shut up!?" said Kyo.

"It was lucky I found you." Said Haru, now placing down his own bowl, "Your foot had got pretty stuck under there."

"It must have been so painful when you tripped and pulled your ankle like that." Said Tohru, fussing at Yuki's side.

Yuki smiled at her, "I'm okay Miss Honda, really you don't have to worry so much."

Tohru just smiled sadly. She couldn't help worrying about all of them.

"Yes, perhaps I should call Hatori to take a look at it." Said Shigure, getting up and heading for the phone.

"You don't have to call him about every slight accident," said Yuki, "Besides, Haru was kind enough to help me." Yuki closed his eyes, "Wouldn't you say he did a good job, Shigure?"

Shigure froze in his tracks, a silly embarrassed grin appearing on his face as he turned around to see Yuki's knowing eyes upon him.

"Eh, eheh, yes, I suppose he did."

-----

"Yes…...well I don't know if Yuki's said anything yet……..believe me if he does you'll be the first to know……..well I'm hoping so, I'm all ready for that if it happens eheh……wait, someone's coming, ta ta Aya."

Shigure, as quickly and innocently as possible, put the phone back down on the receiver and turned to face a pajama clad Yuki walking off the last step of the stairs. Yuki didn't move when he saw the obviously put on innocent face of his supposed elder,

"_Now_ what are you up too?"

Shigure sighed deliberately, "Must you young ones always accuse me of being up to something? So unfair. Perhaps I am just standing here enjoying the rare silence of this house, watching the stars in the night sky glitter through the window, letting my mind drift to tim—Yuki? Oh you've gone."

Yuki walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Yawning slightly, he walked back into the living room to see something he hadn't noticed before. There was a pillow and a pile of blankets lying on the floor. Looking over to the porch, he saw Haru sitting cross-legged resting his elbow on one knee, head resting in his hand, staring at something he held in his other hand. Yuki placed the glass quietly on the table and walked up behind Haru, opening the partly open doors a little more so he could walk through. The second the doors moved however, whatever Haru was looking at he shoved into his pocket and spun around to see who it was who had disturbed him.

"Yuki?"

Yuki shut the doors behind him and looked down at Haru, "Where you planning on staying down here tonight?" he asked, as he sat down next to him.

Haru looked away out into the forest, "Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't think I trust myself to stay in the same room with you tonight. Not with what I've done today."

Yuki watched him carefully. It's true that Haru had been acting a little more, 'lovingly', than usual the past two days, but it wouldn't be right for him to stay down here when Yuki had agreed for him to share his bedroom until his room was completed.

"You already apologised for that Haru. It's alright, I don't mind you sharing my room."

Haru turned to look at him, guilty grey's meeting caring deep purple's. The wind was the only sound as it ruffled the trees, as Haru's mind told him to ask Yuki a question, but a question that might change something between them.

"Y—"

"Haru can I ask you something?"

Haru blinked, "Sure."

Suddenly the atmosphere between them seemed to change. Yuki looked away from Haru's eyes at the ground, a slight pinkness rising on his cheeks. "How you've been acting today, and yesterday," Yuki paused for a moment, unsure on how to phrase this and suddenly wishing he hadn't though of asking it in the first place, "Well, you're always saying and telling people that you love me, I guess I'm just wondering how serious you really are?" The second the words left his mouth Yuki instantly regretted it and before Haru even had a chance to answer (he was still staring at Yuki in shock), Yuki got up off the ground and slid back the door, "Never mind, I'll just g—"

Haru's hand found Yuki's preventing him from walking away. Standing up from the floor, Haru stood right in front of him, a now very earnest look on his face.

"How serious I am is up to you." He said quietly, still holding Yuki's hand, "If you're willing to give me a chance, than yes, I am very serious. If not, than I guess every time I say to someone or straight to you that I love you, that love will always just be a family thing."

Yuki couldn't believe he was actually hearing this from Haru. He'd known all along because it was obvious, but to hear him actually say it face to face, he didn't know how to feel.

"It can be whatever you want it to be," Haru continued, "But just to let you know…" Haru paused, looking away for a brief moment then straight back at Yuki, "This is the way I would like it to be."

Haru leaned forward; Yuki having only a moment to widen his eyes, as Haru ever so gently pressed his lips to his. It was a simple kiss, Haru didn't try anything, simply stood still, eyes closed, lips softly moving against Yuki's unresponsive ones. Yuki's eyes stayed wide open. His heart was beating a mile a minute; he didn't know what to do! His arms stayed by his side, _LEAVE!_ His mind was screaming at him, but his legs refused to obey. A too short moment later, _why was it too short?_ Yuki felt Haru take a step back. Yuki just stood there looking at the person who had given him his first kiss, his entire body still frozen from not knowing what to do. From the strangely confused expression on Yuki's face, Haru just smiled,

"I'll stay down here this evening, but we both better go back inside, it's cold out here."

Haru led the motionless Yuki by the hand he was still holding back into the house, closing the doors behind him. Perhaps it was the sudden wave of warmth from the house, but as soon as Haru closed the door, Yuki blinked and took his hand away Haru's, his breathing strangely slow, the already appeared blush burning redder, before turning and walking in a daze out to the stairs. Haru watched him go, absentmindingly biting his lower lip in memory before he was overcome with a very un-Haru like feeling and grinned triumphantly, jumping onto his homemade bed and under the covers, sighing in success.

If that wasn't a sign of something good, then heck, he'd kiss Shigure!

Haru's smile sudden faded, _Hmm__, it sure as hell better he a good sign then._

To Be Continued…


	5. Congratulations

Thanks to all my reviewers!

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi **

**a**** breezy era**

**DarkangelWings**

**Polka Dot **

**rokusan** –Yey! Thank you for the lovely review! Next chapter has been churned out for you! :)

**C-chan **

**Kativa****-Chan **

**Syphonus** – Yes I think Kyo will be, and even more so by the time I finish this fanfic hehe

------

**Chapter 5: Congratulations **

Sunday.

5.46am.

Shigure was on a mission.

"Tohru?" he said, knocking on Tohru's bedroom door. There was a slight shuffling from inside when the door was nearly torn off its hinges as Tohru yanked it open, a worried look on her face and a pastel pink dressing gown wrapped around her.

"Shigure? Is everything alright? Is there anything I can do to help, or, or, what's wrong?" she panicked.

"Tohru," Shigure laughed, holding his hands up, "There's nothing wrong, I just need everyone up early today if you don't mind."

Tohru blinked, her face relaxing, "Oh, no, I don't mind. I'll start making breakfast if everyone has to get up."

Shigure smiled as he watched her wander down the stairs, _She__ just does what is asked, and she didn't even ask why I'm getting everyone up._ That reason as to why he was doing this suddenly came across his mind and he took a deep breath, "This is going to be a long day." He said to himself, as he walked over to Kyo's room and knocked on the door.

"What?" came the angry voice from inside.

"Are you awake?"

"I answered didn't I?"

Well that was simple. He wasn't surprised Kyo was up; he was the one to be awake at ridiculous hours in the morning.

Shigure now stood in front of Yuki's room. He stood there staring at the wood debating whether or not to enter the Room of Morning Doom. Putting a finger to his chin in thought, he shook his head.

"Nope, not yet. I better get prepared for waking that one up." Walking down the stairs and hoping over the still asleep Haru, Shigure popped his head round the kitchen. "Tohru? You couldn't do me a favour and get a bag of ice wrapped up in a cloth ready for me could you?"

Tohru looked at him oddly before nodding, "Sure."

Shigure turned to walk back towards the stairs but paused next to Haru. Looking down at him fast asleep, a small sleepy smile on his lips, Shigure grinned to himself. He began to walk away, waving a hand over his shoulder.

"Yuki's just getting out of the bath all dripping wet and naked!"

Haru's eyes shot open and instantly sat up wide-awake.

Shigure marched back up the stairs to Yuki's room and stood outside again, taking another deep breath and putting a stern and serious look on his face. Slowly sliding back the door, he poked his head round the corner. As he thought at this hour, Yuki was fast asleep. He tip toed in and made his way over to the bed. As he got closer to this supposed "sleeping angel", his stern face decided to change to one of extreme worry at his possible fate.

He put one finger towards Yuki's shoulder, retreated slightly, and then tapped it gently, "Yuki?" No response, "Yuki you'd better get up." He said as he poked a little harder. Still really asleep, Yuki's hand slowly swatted at his shoulder and he turned over to face the curtains.

Shigure stood back and bit his bottom lip. He really didn't want to do this, for his own personal safety. _I hope Tohru's got that bag of ice ready._ He walked over to the curtains and pulled them apart, letting the bright early morning sun shine straight through onto Yuki's face. Shigure cringed and waited. Frowning slightly, Yuki raised his arm bringing the bed covers with him and putting them over this head.

"Yuki?" Shigure said, leaning in close to him. He was going to have to wake him up one way or another, _Don't__ hurt me _he silently implored, "Yuki? Yuki Yuki Yuki Yuki Yuki Yu—"

WHACK!

"--WHAT?!?!?"

-----

It was a peaceful Sunday morning at Shigure's house. The gentle morning sun was slowly seeping through the trees tops leaving a golden twirling pattern on the grass below. The early birds were beginning to twitter and the trickling stream followed its course through the forest. It was quiet, it was serene, it was…

"…Far too early to be getting up." Said a half-asleep Yuki, rubbing one eye in tiredness and yawning, "Why did you wake me up?"

From across the table Haru sat leaning against the wall, his hands behind his head, watching quietly. His hopefully-soon-to-be-mine Yuki, sleepy eyes, hair ruffled, looking entirely too cute for his own good, sat just a few feet away from him. The early morning look was adorable and Haru's black personality suddenly decided to contribute a thought. The thought that the reason Yuki looked so tired was because he had been kept up all night, and his hair wasn't ruffled just from sleeping.

"Hhehe, well, I have some very good news for you all!" Shigure sat at the table with a very nervous grin on his face currently holding that bag of ice to his recently pummeled head.

"Really?" said Tohru, smiling eagerly.

"What good news?" asked Kyo.

"Well the reason I got you up early is because we have a visitor coming around this morning and I thought it best you were all wide awake and not half asleep and moody when he comes."

"Who is it?" Yuki asked, now rather interested.

Shigure just kept that strange nervous grin on his face and paused before he spoke again, "Are you sure you're properly awake Yuki?"

Yuki's curiosity suddenly faded and his eyes darkened, "Why?"

"Er, eheh, well it's—"

"GOOD MORNING everyone!!"

Both Yuki and Kyo faltered and slowly turned their heads to confirm their fears. There in the doorway, stood the one and only red clothed "Fabric store" owner and resident aggravating brother, Ayame Sohma.

"HOW IS HE GOOD NEWS?!" They both screamed at Shigure.

"Well he's good news for me." Shigure answered with an honest expression on his face.

"Why the hell did you wake up us earlier to see HIM?" said Kyo, standing with one foot on the table leaning over Shigure rather menacingly.

"Well, I thought it better that everyone be wide awake and in a good mood to see him than half asleep and more, err, dangerous." He said, glancing at Yuki for the last few words, who sat with his eyes closed obviously trying to calm himself before he did something that Ayame would with no doubt regret.

"Tsk tsk Shigure," said Ayame, flicking his hair back, "My visit should not be a chore…"

"It's slavery…" Yuki mumbled, as Shigure simply smiled at his friend.

"It's something to be excited about! Something to celebrate!"

Tohru smiled cheerfully, happy to see Ayame again. She always liked it when he came round, she would always try and help him with his relationship with Yuki, and despite what the others may think, he does try, even if he's not too successful with it.

"Don't worry too much," said Shigure, "Aya's just staying here for this morning," he looked up at Ayame through the corner of his eye and smirked flirtatiously, "because then the two of us are going out together for the afternoon."

"That we are my dear Shigure." Ayame said, his voice a little huskier, "Although I must protest about you waking poor Yuki up at that hour," Yuki looked up at his brother with a slight stunned look on his face,

"What if he hadn't been alone?"

……

……

A sudden precarious look came across Yuki's darkened eyes as his eyelids fell looking at his brother. Shigure's eyes however flew open and he stared wide-eyed up at Ayame shaking his head vigorously.

"I mean really that wouldn't have been polite now would it?"

"Aya…" Shigure pleaded, raising his palms in the air.

Yuki turned his irritated face towards Shigure, suddenly thinking that as usual Shigure may be behind whatever was going on.

"And of course I have to check on Hatsuharu now."

Shigure coughed deliberately, "Aya…" he whispered, seeing the perilous glower on Yuki's face.

Haru looked up from staring in a daze at Yuki and stared at Ayame, "Me?"

"Of course!" Ayame cheered, "After all I have to make sure that you two are-"

"WELL then!" came a false cheer from Shigure as he leapt up from the floor and ran in front of Ayame, "I expect your hungry I'm sure we still have something left to eat for you somewhere in the Kitchen."

Ayame let himself be pushed through the room towards the Kitchen, but stopped at the Kitchen entrance. Looking back past a still pleading Shigure shaking his head, Ayame looked at his younger brother and suddenly realised, "Oh! So they haven't—"

"-YES WONDERFUL!!!"

-----

Yuki sat in his bedroom alone, doing homework. Maybe he was just too tired this morning, or maybe is was the sudden rush of annoyance and anger at seeing his brother, but whatever it was, it wasn't until he had retreated upstairs to get away from said brother that the memory of Haru kissing him came flooding back into his mind, drowning any sensible thoughts of anything to do with homework. He pushed his books to one side and walked towards his window, resting his elbows on the windowsill staring out into the forest beyond. He had already spent the entire night trying to figure out why he didn't react to Haru's kiss, whether it was to push him away or to kiss him back. He felt a small blush rise to his cheeks at the memory and shook his head. Maybe if he just didn't say anything Haru would forget it ever happened_, That's pathetic_, said a voice inside him, _Like Haru's going to forget that. Knowing him he's probably standing outside my door right now wanting to come in to finish it off._

Yuki's eyes widened at his own thought and told his brain to be quiet. For once his brain complied and pushed that kiss right to back of his mind. _It was just a one off thing_, he told himself, _That's not going to happen again, Haru was just trying to prove a point……I thought I told you to be quiet?_

_-----_

Ayame sat half listening to Shigure's conversation with Tohru as he watched Haru walk up the stairs. He sipped his tea and sat unusually quietly as he looked at the contented expression on the Ox's face.

-----

Yuki sighed annoyed at himself and sat back down at his desk, opening his Cultural History book and trying to concentrate. A few minutes later however he gave up. Sighing once again, he stood up and stared at his door. He should probably help Tohru with the dinner; he hadn't spent much time with her this weekend and didn't want her to think he was ignoring her.

-----

"Where are you going?" said Shigure.

"Oh, no where." Said Ayame, as he wandered over to the bottom of the stairs and peered upwards.

-----

Yuki smiled sweetly. His mind forgetting Haru for the moment and focusing on Tohru, he walked away from his desk and opened his door.

"Yuki!"

Yuki stood in shock to see a smiling Haru standing the other side of his door, _wanting to come in to finish it off._

Yuki slammed the door in Haru's face; his heart beat racing and his face bright red.

-----

Ayame heard a door slam and placed his hand on the banister, taking one step up.

-----

"Err, Yuki?" asked Haru the door, placing his palm against it. Haru hadn't expected that, all he wanted was to ask if Yuki wanted a drink, as per request by Tohru. Why should he be angry with him? Had he done some---

Haru suddenly felt very ill.

What if that kiss hadn't been a good sign? What if Yuki hated him now for that, is that why he just shut the door on his face? Couldn't he bear to look at him? He hadn't spoken to him all morning. Is that it? Haru knocked on the door,

"Yuki? Can I come in?"

There was no reply from the other side, which made Haru worry even more. He knocked once again, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for yesterday." He paused, unsure what to say as there wasn't really much he could do to apologise, "I know I shouldn't have kissed you."

-----

Ayame's eyes widened excitedly and risked a peek around the wall to see Haru pressed up against Yuki's door. He had just caught that last line and felt a wave of happiness for his brother. Although it didn't appear his brother seemed to think so.

-----

Still silence. Haru definitely didn't like this. He didn't like to think that Yuki hated him, not his Yuki, not the one he wanted to hug forever more, not the one he would go to the ends of the earth for, not the one who was currently opening the door.

Opening the door?

Haru suppressed a smile at fear it may worsen the situation as the door opened just a crack. However, the next few moments seemed to be some strange nightmarish blur. Just as Yuki opened the door wide enough, it sounded as though someone was running towards them. Haru turned to his right to see an ecstatically delighted Ayame running towards him arms out stretched wide.

"Well really you should have told me all this time!" he said, swooping Haru in one arm.

He then proceeded to push the door fully open, snatching it away from Yuki's hand who stood there for just enough time to register the fact that his hand was now only holding air, before his brother wrapped his arm around his waist and found himself in a three way hug with Haru.

"Oh congratulations! I knew it, I just knew it! I know Shigure told had told me but to be honest I didn't believe it!" He suddenly pulled away from the hug and pushed Haru and Yuki together, which didn't quite go to plan as Haru simply hit his head on Yuki's shoulder toppling forward. "But now I do, oh my don't you two look so cute together I just have to tell everybody, oh you really should have told me!!"

At hearing his name, and especially from the direction it was coming from, Shigure shot up the stairs and ran into Yuki's room to find Ayame standing there gleaming. Yuki, who had fallen on his back on the bed, and Haru…well…Haru…

"Why Aya," said Shigure, looking rather impressed at the scene in front of him, "I have to say I was worried when you started talking about this in front of them, but it looks as though you may have actually brought them together."

…For Haru was lying directly on top of Yuki, the way they had fallen having Haru's hands trapping Yuki's arms above him, one of Haru's legs tucked nicely between Yuki's, and their two shocked blushing faces barely an inch apart.

"I know! Isn't it cute?" said Ayame, clapping his hands together and sliding an arm around Shigure's shoulder.

"You bastards." Haru growled.

Both Shigure and Ayame stopped grinning and looked at the pair, Haru slowly climbing off of the stunned Yuki and standing up. "If you hadn't barged in like that," he began in a gravely low voice, facing away from them but his hands clenched as fists at his side, "If you've made Yuki hate me even more," he turned to look at the two adults, his eyes glazed with rage,

"Then I'll kill you."

Ayame and Shigure glanced at each other, glanced back at Haru, then turned and ran down the hallway clambering down the stairs and out the front door, "I guess we'll be going on our little outing now!" Shigure shouted back, as a deadly furious Black Haru sprinted out the door after them.

"Get back here you cowards! I'll make you regret the day you were born you BASTARDS!!!"

As the three of them faded into the distant forest, Yuki walked unsteadily down the stairs, stopping at the bottom when Kyo walked past him into the living area. "I'm not even gonna ask." He said without even looking at Yuki.

Yes, what would have Yuki said if Kyo had asked? For a strange part of him, was rather sad that Haru had stood up.

To Be Continued…


	6. Contented Sleep

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Kativa-chan **

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi **– Here ya go then! Two chapters in one weekend! That update quick enough? :)

**Polka Dot**

**Jessiegurl43953** – Wow, I didn't think people though it was that good….THANK YOU!!!!!! :):):)

**DarkngelWings** - lol I was literally about to upload this when your review came through. Just got you on just in time :)

**------**

**Chapter 6: Contented Sleep **

--The night before--

_That was close, _Shigure thought to himself, as he stayed by the phone until Yuki was clear out of sight. He turned to go back up the stairs when suddenly remembered that Haru was still in the room Yuki had just walked into. Quickly turning around and running into his Study, he grabbed the camera Mii had lent him and slowly crept over to the open Living Room door. He just spotted Yuki and Haru sitting together out on the porch in the fading light and smiled. He knelt on the floor and watched, camera ready for a quick photo. Yuki suddenly got up off the floor when Haru grabbed his hand. Shigure quickly put the camera to his eye; something was going to happen he just knew it! There was a moments conversation before that something happened. Shigure was still in slight shock to click the button on the camera to take the photo, but quickly remembered just in time just as Haru pulled away from the kiss. As they walked inside and Yuki turned slowly towards the stairs where Shigure was kneeling, Shigure quickly scuttled into his office and quietly shut the door, keeping it open just an inch to watch a very dazed Yuki walk up the stairs. Grinning in triumph and shoving the camera in his desk draw; Shigure quietly took the phone of the desk in the hall and took it into his office shutting the door, the cord coming from underneath, _Aya's never going to believe this._

--Present time--

"Are you alright now?" asked Kyo, not particularly caring but knowing full well not to go near a Black Haru.

"No, but I'm not Black anymore if that's what you mean." Haru said, sitting by the front door waiting for Shigure and Ayame to return.

"Good." Said Kyo, walking past him heading for his favourite spot on the roof.

Tohru walked up beside Haru and sat down, bringing her knees to her chest to keep warm, "How come you stopped chasing Shigure and Ayame?" she enquired.

"I lost them in the forest, but I'll get them when they come back."

"They've been gone for hours, I wonder what they're doing. I hope they're okay." She said, a little worried as it was nearly time for dinner.

"Where's Yuki?" Haru asked, turning to face her.

"In his Garden. I hope he won't mind me telling you as that's where you found him when he hurt himself."

Haru smiled in remembrance, "He had a little garden back at the main house when he lived there."

"Really?" said an excited Tohru, "So he's always liked gardening then huh?"

"Yeah. He tried to keep that one a secret as well. Didn't work though. It was a strange place to have it actually because it was my back garden."

Tohru blinked, "Your…back garden?"

"Yeah. Well you see my parents owned one of the biggest houses inside the Sohma Estate. Second only to the main house itself. We had a huge garden, half of which was trees so it would have been easy enough to miss a spot even if you were trying to explore the whole thing."

Kyo idly listened to this conversation lying on his back on the roof. He frowned though; Haru was talking in the past tense. He himself had seen Haru's house, it was absolutely huge, his mother owning a large Yoga and Relaxation centre in the main town, and his father being one of the head directors for a large software company, traveling around the world visiting their smaller company chains making sure things were running smoothly. They made a fortune every month; in fact it was only a few weeks ago he overheard Haru at school saying his parents were building yet another extension to the house.

Tohru hadn't noticed this and just thought that it was cute that even back then Yuki had been near Haru, with or without knowing it.

"I remember one afternoon when I was looking after a very young Kisa for the day," Haru continued, "She loved staying round my house cos I had made a little play room for her. Anyway, we were playing catch in the garden when I through the ball a little to hard and it flew off into the trees. When I searched for it I came across Yuki's garden. It was only small, only a couple of feet, but it had one of pretty much everything. Carrots, potatoes, leeks, turnips, I hadn't a clue how it got there. But then as I knelt down I saw a hole in one of the bushes and right at that moment Yuki came crawling though." Haru smiled to himself, "He looked so shocked to see me staring at him there. I figured he didn't know where he was so explained he was in my garden. He of course said he would replant them somewhere else but wouldn't hear of it. Besides, as he said he spent so much time there, it was nice to think he was near me."

Tohru loved hearing these stories about Haru and Yuki, and Haru always looked so happy when he told them, as if talking about Yuki was one of his favourite hobbies. They sat there for a few more minutes when Tohru suddenly thought she needed to change the bed covers for the day.

"Oh! I have things to do before dinner, I shouldn't be sitting out here!" she said, standing up from the floor, bowing slightly to Haru before heading up the stairs.

Haru stayed where he was, although his previous appetite for wanting to slaughter Shigure and Ayame had since subsided. Whenever he thought about Yuki any violent thoughts always disappeared. He debated whether or not to go and find Yuki in his Garden, but thought better against it for the moment. Perhaps he'd talk with him later or tomorrow during lunch at school. Shivering again from the cold, Haru got up and kept a mental note that he really needed to stop sitting in the cold to think about things, turned to his left to see Kyo leaning by the wall staring at him.

"What?" Haru asked.

"Why are you here Haru?" Kyo said rather seriously, "Why did you just suddenly move in without Shigure mentioning it before?"

Haru brushed away invisible dust from his arm and looked up at Kyo, "As I said before, I have my reasons." And with that he walked inside the house, shutting the door behind him indicating the conversation was over.

_-----_

Tohru gathered Yuki's bed sheets in her arms and grabbed an empty glass from his bedside draw. Humming to herself, she walked past his desk to the door only to stop and look down. On Yuki's desk lay a single piece of paper with one paragraph of homework on it dated today. But a few lines below in Yuki's handwriting was a simple line of words:

Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru Haru

-----

Just as Haru walked past it the phone began to ring, picking it up he answered, "Hello?……Oh hey…….no Shigure's not here. What do you want to speak to him for?…….What do you mean nothing?…..Momiji your being scarily more hyper than usual what's going on?……Okay okay, I won't ask. Do you want me to get Shigure to call you back?….oh ok…yeah, bye." Haru put the phone down and frowned. Momiji sounded as though he was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"WE'RE BACK!!"

Haru turned to the front door to see it slide open, a very secretively smirking Shigure and still hyperly happy Ayame standing in the doorway.

"Now now Haru," said Shigure, suddenly seeing Haru's frown, "You're not still Black are you?"

"I'm not frowning at you." Haru said, truly no longer caring about those two, at least for the minute, "Momiji just called asking for you."

Shigure's eyes widened slightly while Ayame started laughing, "Oh he did, did he?" said Shigure, a nervous smile on his face.

Ayame walked around from behind Shigure and rested his arm on Shigure's shoulder; calming his laughing, "Tell me Haru, do you think you'll be able to show us what you have in that bag of yours?"

It took a moment for Haru to realise before his expression changed to true annoyance, "That traitor!" he screamed at the phone, "I'll kill Momiji!"

Ayame and Shigure both started laughing, "We'll take that as a no then." Shigure laughed, at least until Haru turned his angry glare towards them,

"And you two!" Haru shouted, "What the hell have you been doing?" Haru attempted to calm his voice, he really couldn't be bothered to deal with them right now so turning Black would only waste time, "You've obviously been at the main house if you've been talking to Momiji!" he said, trying to be calmer.

"We haven't just been to the main house." Said Shigure, taking off his shoes.

"No no, we've been all over the place," said Ayame, walking over to Haru and ruffling his hair, "I shouldn't worry yourself Haru," he chuckled, "It'll all be alright!"

Haru stared at him, "……What have you done?"

Shigure and Ayame trying to look innocent was a definite sign of trouble.

-----

Yuki had returned from his Garden just in time for dinner, ("WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SERVING STEWED LEEKS AGAIN?!" Kyo screamed, backing away from his plate. "Oh don't you remember Kyo?" asked Tohru, giving a plate to Haru, "Shigure asked me yesterday if we could have them today."), Ayame stayed to enjoy the meal then headed off back home, ("Be good children, especially you two!" Ayame exclaimed, winking towards Haru and Yuki, both of them giving him an icy glare), while Tohru simply sat quietly, occasionally glancing at Yuki grinning inside at what she had found in his room earlier. _He does like him like that, I just know it._

It wasn't until around 10pm when there came a knock on Yuki's bedroom door. "Come in?" he said, as Haru slid the door back.

Yuki looked up at him, memories of pretty much every embarrassing moment this weekend suddenly flashing across his mind. "It's alright I'm…I'm not coming in." Haru said a little sadly, suddenly chickening out of talking to Yuki this evening, "I'm just letting you know that I'll sleep downstairs again tonight."

Yuki took the liberty of looking a little guilty, "I shouldn't let what my brother does get to you. He was just being an idiot as usual. You can stay up here, I know it does get cold down there." Yuki really wanted Haru to stay here this evening, for no other reason other than yes it does get cold down there, they had agreed to it in the first place, Tohru had already made up a bed on the floor and well, he wanted Haru to be with hi- to stay with hi—no, that is to sleep wit…

_SHUT UP_, Yuki screwed his eyes shut for a moment to clear those thoughts from his head before looking back up at Haru.

"No, I'll stay downstairs, it's alright." Haru said, even though the look in Yuki's eye for him to stay was genuine, he it would just be too awkward, "Night then."

As Haru turned to leave, Yuki suddenly stood up from his bed, "No stay here." Yuki winced mental at how pathetic that sounded, "I, I mean, I…" there was no point in trying to make excuses. He looked at the ground suddenly embarrassed, "I… would like you to stay here."

Haru noticed the way Yuki was trying to avoid his eyes. Now he definitely wouldn't be able to stay in the same room, Yuki was just being too cute for his own safety! When Haru didn't say anything, Yuki risked looking back up at him to see him smiling sweetly at him. Leaning forward slightly, he kissed Yuki on his right cheek and turned around.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Yuki stood there with exactly the same expression as the night before when Haru had kissed him. _Well do something then!_ His mind screamed at him, but his body refused to move. How can such a small simple act completely freeze the whole body? Yuki slowly looked down at the floor, bringing his hand up to touch his cheek. There were so many things he should be thinking about, so many things he should be doing. He looked back to the stairs where Haru had just walked and suddenly felt very alone. It was a stupid thing to feel really. He had never shared his room with anyone before, so why should he now? Is it just because that now he knows someone should be sharing with him and yet is choosing not to? Or is it because he always feels alone when he knows Haru is around but not with him? Yuki turned to go back inside his room but stopped and stared at his pillows.

He suddenly had a thought.

-----

Haru slowly climbed back in the conscious world and yawned. There was no light filtering though his eyelids from the paper doors so it was obviously still the middle of the night. Bringing his arm up from under the covers, he opened one eye and peered sleepily at the green light coming from his digital watch. It flashed 2.28am and Haru shut his eyes. Unfortunately, as always happens if Haru ever wakes up in the night, it is impossible to go back to sleep for the first thing his mind thinks of is Yuki.

Yuki. Fast asleep somewhere above him, tucked up safe and warm under the bed covers.

Haru shivered.

Yuki was right, because just like the night before, it was getting rather chilly down here. Pulling the covers closer around him, Haru snuggled down a little further to try and get warm when something suddenly pressed itself against his back. Haru eyes flew open, his first instinct being that someone was attacking him, but before he had a chance to move, the thing behind him wrapped an arm around his chest and whispered sleepily.

"Shut up. I'm too tried to know what I'm doing. And you're shivering."

_Yuki?!_ Cried Haru's mind, eyes still wide but no longer in fear or shock. Well, maybe still in shock. Had Yuki been down here the whole time? How long had he been sleeping here? Yuki didn't move after that, just lay there pressed up against him trying to keep him warm.

_Great, now sleep's really out the window,_ thought Haru, desperately trying to keep an ever creeping Black Haru away. Haru shut his eyes tightly telling that side of his personally to kindly piss off! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he wasn't going to scare Yuki away by trying to jump him in the middle of the night. A few moments later Yuki's breathing had slowed and became evident he was fast asleep. Haru however seemed to be holding his breath. Fear that if he breathed too heavily and woke Yuki up, he'd truly realise what he was doing and leave.

Haru didn't want Yuki to leave. He was so warm, pressed up against his back, one arm casually draped over his chest. This was something Haru admitted to dreaming about many a time, well, this was something his _White_ personally would dream, if his _Black_ personality was in charge of the dreams at the time then there would be a certain little thing happening before this contented sleep.

Haru very quickly pushed that thought away and slowly took a deep breath. Closing his eyes again, he tried to will his mind to relax. A few minutes later, Haru genuinely did fall asleep. Despite the fact that his brain was finding it very difficult to sleep knowing that it's true love was holding him close, it was obviously a lot easy than it thought. Falling asleep with Yuki felt right, it felt comfortable, and this was one night that Haru didn't dream anything, for the dream was already being played out in reality.

To Be Continued…

**AN:** I realise this chapter wasn't as funny as the others, but I needed to get this done to continue the plot. Btw, to show you how long this may be, when I first started this I actually wrote out a plan. Like what scenes would happen in what chapter and things. Well, if I really had stuck to that, then technically I'd actually still be on the second chapter…


	7. No Limits

Thanks to my reviewers!!

**Kativa-Chan** – (pictures haru and yuki all wrapped up under a blanket by a roaring fireplace) Ahhhh..

**Enjen ** - lol I thought that line might have been bit corny, glad you thought it was beautiful! :)

**DarkangelWings**

**Calliope6** - Wow, that's nice to hear as this is my first FB fic, thank you very much!! :)

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi **

**Chisato Shidou **- Chapter 7 has FINALLY made its appearance!

**a breezy era**

**Gia **

**NeuroticSquirrel **

**-------**

**Chapter 7: No Limits**

There couldn't have been a more perfect moment for Haru than at this point in time. Those perfect lips, parted in a small sigh, just begging to be kissed. Fingers running through that perfect silky hair, coming to rest at the base of his neck, using his other hand to tilt his chin upwards, making the kiss deeper and more demanding. Arms wrapped around his neck, pulling their bodies even closer as those lips kissed down that perfectly smooth throat, nibbling lightly at the collar bone. Hands everywhere, coming up underneath his shirt desperately wanting access to every part of that milky white skin, wanting to touch every part, wanting to kiss everything in sight.

"Yuki." Haru breathed against his skin, nuzzling his neck once again, "I want you..."

Those deep purple eyes glittering with desire, fell upon the ones looking so lovingly up at him. Raising his hand, he placed it at the side of his loves face and brought it forward once again, claiming those lips in another fiery kiss.

Somewhere, an alarm went off.

Sleepy eyes opened, blinking in the sunlight filtering into the room. The few blissful seconds of not realising why his cheeks were so flushed quickly passing by before suddenly……eyes snapped wide open, sitting up straight in bed, looking from left to right before…

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

Kyo flew out of his bed and stood up back against his wall, breathing heavily, "How...why..." he stared wide eyed, his mind still producing the rather vivid images in his eyes,

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

-----

Below the screams that was Kyo (with a sudden mad rush to the shower), another pair of sleepy eyes awoke to the morning light. Once again, those few seconds before the mind would realise who he had his arms wrapped around.

Haru blinked.

Looking down, he found a mass of velvety dark silver hair lying on his chest that could and would only belong to one person. The memory of the middle of the night suddenly flashed across his mind and noticed that somewhere along the line he had turned over and wrapped his arms around Yuki, his chin resting lightly on his head. Haru's eyelids lowered and he smiled to himself. Sighing contently, he closed his eyes again, absently running his fingers gently up and down Yuki's back. A part of him was saying that he should get up and get dressed quietly, as not to wake Yuki. He didn't want another repeat of what happened the last time Yuki awoke to find Haru in bed with him, even if it was Yuki's choice this time. He didn't have to have come down here. He didn't have to at all. Haru opened one eye and moved his head slightly to look at Yuki's sleeping face. So peaceful, so angelic, perfect in everyway. Not a blemish, not a mark, not a single flaw could be found on his sleeping princess- err prince.

As he lay there for just a while longer, his mind battling against the get-up-and-go-before-he-walks-up-and-storms-out-again, and just-stay-a-little-while-longer-so-I-can-hold-him-some-more, his mind had missed another very important factor.

They were lying in the Living Room.

The thro Living Room that led to the Kitchen.

The Kitchen he suspected Tohru was heading for when she suddenly walked in to see the two of them curled up on the floor together.

Haru didn't quite know what to do. He couldn't exactly move, Yuki was lying half across him. So he just lay there, watching as Tohru's face turned into various shades of red. Her expression changing from one of shock at what she thought they may have done, suspicion into herself for thinking they couldn't have done anything down here where anyone could walk in, shock again as she realised what she was just implying, embarrassment at that same thought and that Haru was now staring at her, and then a simple small smile. A smile when her eyes fell on Yuki, his arms wrapped around Haru like a child would do to its favourite cuddly toy. It was very un-Yuki like in her minds eye, but it was so cute she thought she just might squeak in delight, but then realised that was probably not the best idea as she doubted Yuki would want to wake up with another audience again.

"You know, for once, this wasn't my doing," Haru whispered, finally breaking the ice and thinking he should probably explain why they were like this.

Tohru smiled warmly and put her finger to her lips suggesting they be quiet. She slowly crept over to them and knelt down beside them. "Do you need any help? To get away before Yuki wakes up I mean?"

Haru looked at her a little surprised; she didn't seem to be _too_ embarrassed at what she was seeing. Then again, she was the one he had opened up to. A lot of people seem to do that with Tohru, maybe that's why she's so understanding about pretty much everything. He was beginning to realise that he liked Tohru a lot. Not in the loving way, no, that was reserved for Yuki and Yuki alone, but more of the long lost friend. A friend that you haven't seen in years, but when you reunite again, you find they have so many wise and wonderful stories to tell, and that they have experienced so much on their travels there was no news imaginable that could surprise them. A friend that it doesn't matter how long you are apart, the second you meet again it's like they were never away.

Haru felt like he could trust Tohru, a lot, and so felt no embarrassment at all to ask her for help. She was one of the very few people who accepted his love for Yuki; he wasn't going to push that kind of person away for anything.

"Yeah, please. Could you just lift his arm up, I can't quite get at it at this angle."

Tohru happily obliged, slowly and as gently as possible lifting Yuki's arm from around Haru's chest. It was then of course she happened to notice, that although Yuki was wearing pajama's, Haru was shirtless.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't _quite_ used to _this_ much of it yet, as her hair seemed to stand on end as Haru slowly got up from the floor wearing nothing but that rat-cartooned style boxer shorts he had worn the first night he was here.

Well, at least he had managed it without an audience for once.

Or so he thought.

Shigure suddenly came thundering down the stairs, zoomed straight through the living room, grabbed an orange, gulped down a glass of water, zoomed straight past them again into his office, waved a quick goodbye….then stopped.

Turning back around for a moment, he looked at Yuki, still asleep on the floor, looked at Haru, glaring at Shigure to dare to say anything, looked at Tohru, who looked very skittishly worried that Yuki would wake up, before Shigure grinned, through a V sign towards them and shouted,

"I'm running late for something I forgot about. I'll see you kiddies later!"

And with that, ran out the door.

"You know--" Haru started after a pause, before Shigure suddenly came running back in,

"By the way, is there any chance that you can all be late for school today?" he pleaded.

Shigure, as many a Sohma member would know, was never very good at trying to hide a tone of voice. Whether it be anger, happiness, or in most cases, trying to act too innocent than was humanly possible for Shigure to be. Living with him for a while, Yuki had become the most recent youngest member to develop what Hatori had once called, 'The most useless sixth sense imaginable.' This sixth sense being as follows:

Shigure, acting hyper and then innocent, immediately sends an electric signal to the brain. The brain then automatically become nervous and suspicious, telling the mouth to instantly move and ask what the hell he was up to.

Yuki's eyes shot open as he stood up at lightning fast speed, "What the hell are you up to?"

Shigure's eye widen in innocence again, "I have no idea what you're talking about dear Yuki." He said, waving his hand at them grinning, "Well I'm off, why don't you and Haru just crawl back to bed together hmm?"

"What?!" came a strangely strangled voice coming from behind Shigure, who spun around to see Kyo standing there with a very disbelieving look on his face, "What did you say?"

"Oh don't you know?" said Shigure, playing up to this as much as he could get away with. Leaning over he whispered just loud enough so the others could hear, "Yuki and Haru slept together last night."

Kyo's face turned from disbelieving to a mad dangerously-clashing-with-hair blush as his dream flashed across his mind again. He slowly stepped away from Shigure with a look of what could have been terror on his face as he peered into the Living Room.

Haru stood next to Tohru, one hand on his hip and the other idly scratching behind his ear. When he saw the look on Kyo's face he just shrugged,

"What? We did?"

Kyo seemed to get more terrified by the moment and flinched, taking another step back, "You've got to be kidding me?"

Tohru wondered why Kyo was looking so strangely. After all, that's what Yuki and Haru had done. It was the truth; they had slept in the same bed, that wasn't wrong was it? "No they did," she said, trying to help out the situation "They slept together down here."

Kyo seemed to stare at Tohru never thinking for life of him she would know about this let alone admit out loud without a single bit of resentment, "D-d-d-down here?" he stuttered, "B-b-b-but anyone could have walked in….maybe that's why I dreamt….maybe I heard them do--NO!!!" Kyo clapped his hands over his ears trying to block his own thoughts, "YOU'RE ALL NUTS!" he shouted, suddenly losing his appetite for breakfast and ran back up to his room to hide until they'd all left for school so he could wander in later.

"What's his problem?" said Haru, a slight giggle from Shigure being his goodbye as he ran out the door again.

"Err, Yuki? Are you okay?" asked Tohru, looking very worryingly at Yuki.

Normally if Shigure had said something so blatant like that, Yuki would have been the first to snap back. But now he just stood there, eyes wide staring at the spot Shigure was standing in, his entire face burning red with embarrassment.

Haru looked at him wondering before smirking, "I get the feeling Kyo got the _other_ impression of when someone says two people slept together."

Yuki simply looked away, too embarrassed to face anyone.

"_Other_, impression?" asked Tohru, putting her finger to her chin in thought before very slowly her mind giving her the answer. Now her hair really did stand on end, "OoOooOOOoo, oh, I mean, he wouldn't think that, I mean, you didn't, you just, I-I-I- ahhhh!" Tohru's face nearly matched Yuki's in redness now.

Haru looked from one to the other before resting his eyes properly on Yuki, turned away from him, the tops of his ears still red from blushing so hard. He was right, something had definitely changed big time between them. Never would Yuki have let anyone see him show so much emotion, to blush so hard like that. He would have yelled at Shigure than whacked Kyo for thinking something so perverted. He had his guard down now; people would start to see through. But Haru knew. Yuki had opened up a bit since Tohru was around, but in Haru's eye, Tohru had only started it. If she had opened Yuki's heart, allowing him to chose someone to love after all this time, then Haru was damned well going to make sure it was going to close with him the one inside, because once he was in Yuki's heart, he wasn't going to let anyone else in.

"Hatsuharu are you okay?" Tohru asked, watching him grin to himself with his eyes closed.

Tohru smiled at the dazed state her two friends were in, and she had the feeling that today was going to be a very interesting day.

-----

"A...a...a very interesting day...indeed." Said Tohru, staring in shock right ahead of her at her class's notice board just outside the classroom in the hallway.

She was not the only one who stared in shock though, there was in fact nearly every person from every class staring in shock at their class notice boards. And if there wasn't enough room there, then people had gathered to stare at random places on the wall, in the cafeteria, and any other place where this thing that lots of people stared at could be placed.

Uo walked up behind Tohru and took a double take at the board, "Whoa...isn't that…?"

"I believe it is." Said Hana, walking up beside them.

Tohru didn't quite know what to say. She was overcome with embarrassment and wondering how on earth this thing got here, and so many of them around the school! She felt like a zombie, just staring, not knowing what to do.

"I don't believe it!" screamed one random girl, "He can't!!! He's way too cute for that!!"

"Well actually that's a good reason he could be." Argued another.

"I wonder where those fan club girls are."

"Yeah, what are they gonna make of this?"

"Do you think we can copy this?"

"You pervert."

"Am not!"

"But with him??? Aren't they like, related?"

"Forget related, LOOK AT THEM!! IT'S THE CUTEST THING I'VE SEEN!! Come to think of it, forget that, WHERE'S THE REAL STUFF!?!"

The group of girls around this notice board scrambled away off to find the two boys, yes, the two certain boys that featured in the photo pinned up on the board.

"I don't think Yuki and Haru are going to be too fond of Shigure from this point on." Tohru mumbled more to herself, as the entire population of Kaibara High now found dozens of extras copies of the photo Shigure had so elegantly taken of their Prince Yuki and Hatsuharu kissing on the porch, pinned up around the school.

"Oh, I do hope Yuki and Haru haven't arrived yet."

-----

Yuki and Haru walked side by side down the pavement heading for the school. But this wasn't a nice, relaxing walk; this was a tense, uncomfortable silence. Yuki hadn't taken his eyes off the cement he was walking down the entire time, blatantly avoiding the question he knew Haru would eventually ask, 'Why did you come down stairs last night?' He didn't want Haru to ask it, because to be honest Yuki didn't know an answer right now. He just felt like it, it was simple as that. But now, now it was morning and the whole thing was over, Yuki thought back to try and find a reason. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't think of a logical explanation for why he suddenly had the urge to creep down the stairs in the middle of the night with a pillow, and curl up next to Haru like it was the most natural thing in the world!

_You like him._

_Of course I like him, he's-_

_No, you like like him-_

_Like like him? What is this Kindergarten?_

_Okay, you love him._

_....I prefer like like._

_Why? You love him. That's why you wanted to go down there last night. You wanted to be close to him. _

_Shut up._

_Don't tell me to shut up, you know you can't think of any other explanation._

And with that comment Yuki finished his conversation with himself and turned to look at Haru. Haru was walking along, hands in his pockets, looking as he usually did. Not a smile, nor a frown, just, normal. Yuki wondered if he knew exactly what he was doing to him. He had never felt so confused in his life; he didn't know what to do. He needed something to put him in the right direction, something to tell him what he was feeling was allowed. In fact something to tell him what this feeling was in the first place.

"THERE THEY ARE!!!"

Both Yuki and Haru looked up to see a hoard of dust coming towards them from the school they had just entered in through the gates. They both stopped and glanced at each other, and as the cloud grew nearer, they could see what it was. Dozens of girls were currently streaming towards them, arms out wide, screaming in joy and hyperness!

"What's going on?" asked Haru, as Yuki turned to look at the car park sign to the left.

There, stuck next to the arrow that read above it 'Please Park Here', was a picture of the two of them kissing barely a day ago.

Yuki's eyes widened as he slowly pointed at the picture, "Err.....H-h-haru."

"I wonder what they're in a rush for?"

It didn't occur to Haru that the girls were after them, that is until they both disappeared under a mass of giggling girls.

"OHMIGOD OHMIGOD OHMIGOD!!"

"DID YOU REALLY!"

"DID YOU? - DID YOU? DID YOU? DID YOU?"

Yuki looked flabbergasted, beyond shock at the apparent fact that Shigure had no limits. Haru simply stared at the photo between the giggling girls, vaguely wondering how long it would take to cook Roast Dog.

To Be Continued….


	8. Whispers

Thanks to my reviewers!!

**Muchacha**

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi **- ……….And err, how DO you know that?….…

**Kativa****-Chan** – lol right, so one reviewer wants Kyo and Tohru to get together and one doesn't. Hmmmm……

**Gia** – Ah yes, the one and only Shigure.

**DarkangelWings**

**Enjen**

**NeuroticSquirrel**– Hmm, now is that Yummy for Haru and Yukiness or Yummy for the Roast Dog? Lol

**C-chan** - hehe, I think Kyo is going slightly insane.

**Polka Dot -** Did he now?………… (questioning suspense dots)

**Jocelyn ** - Yey! Glad you like it!

**red**** spider **

**orange**** girl** - I KNOW! I NEED A BETA READER! Thing is all my friends are at Uni and they have no time what-so-ever to read anything at all. They're all the studious types and then there's, well, me. :)

**rokusan** – SORRY! Sorry for all spelling mistakes (turns into the Spa lady) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, I'M SOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY!!!!!!!!!!!! I have actually double-checked through this one (yes I know I should do that anyway) so hopefully it shouldn't be so bad this time.

-----

**AN:** YEY! Got my hands on the first English translated Fruits Basket Manga! So cool, but the next one doesn't come out 2 months, that's so unfair!! :( It's gonna be like 2 years before the whole series it out! :(,,,,,

Oh and another thing, although I've seen the subbed version of FB now, I'm still writing through the dubbed version, only cos that's the one I remember the most. Dunno if that's going to make any difference at all, but I'm letting you know anyway. :)

-----

**Chapter 8: Whispers **

Mai walked out of the school bathroom and yawned. Glancing at her watch, she turned to walk to her classroom when she got knocked out of the way by a group of girls flying past her screaming in delight. Twirling around, one of them stopped and ran back to her out of breath.

"M-Mai, have you seen it?" she asked excitedly.

"Seen what?"

The girl instantly brought up the photo of Yuki and Haru she was holding right in front of Mai's face. Mai stood still for the moment staring at the picture of her beloved. Gradually her eyes widened as she grabbed the photo and ran away down the hallway.

"HEY!!" shouted the girl, as Mai disappeared out of sight, "…That was my only copy."

-----

Yuki…was angry.

Now the complete shock had faded away, Yuki felt an insane urge to completely forget that Shigure was supposed to be his 'elder' and throttle him to his very last breath. He walked down the school hallway, having suggested to Haru it was best they not walk together anywhere, and was now daring anyone to stare or point or giggle as he walked towards his classroom. Every photo he came across he ripped down, ignoring the protests of some girls coming up to him and saying, "Ohhh, but I wanted to keep one of them." Trying to keep his calm composure at this time was becoming increasingly difficult. Everywhere he turned there were groups of girls pointing and blushing. Ok, so for him that wasn't anything too unusual, but this wasn't the usual reason and Yuki had become a slowly ticking bomb.

"Oooo, I want to say you are so cute in that photo!"

"The way your blushing heheheee!!"

"I can't believe it, you're so cool!"

Yuki quickly walked past yet another group of girls trying to grab hold of him, his fists beginning to clench at his sides as images of Shigure burning in a fiery hell kept on flashing across his mind.

_How could he?!_ his mind seemed to growl, _I'm gonna kill him!_

Walking past a few boys gawking rather oddly at him, Yuki got to his classroom door and put his hand on the handle. It was then of course he remembered he was about to walk into a room he wouldn't be allowed to escape from for another 20 minutes, a room full of people that he just knew where going to crowd around him asking him every question they could think of about his 'relationship' with Haru.

Taking a deep breath knowing full well there was nothing he could do, he prepared for the bombardment…

…Nothing.

The students lounged about as they usually did, with everyone turning to look at him yes, but no one ran over to him, no one said anything except the usual, Hello, or Good Morning. Frowning slightly, Yuki walked over to his desk, eyes still following him, and sat down. He looked over at Tohru in confusion, who simply smiled at him and looked around the room, nodding slightly. Yuki smiled in relief, the ticking bomb suddenly defusing. It seems Tohru had stuck up for him, asking everyone to be nice and not bother him.

"Alright, well done everyone, and if I see anyone bothering the Prince and upsetting Tohru because of it I'll beat you all to a bloody pulp you got that?"

Ah, well, perhaps Uo had a hand in this as well, as she stood at the back of the classroom with her arms crossed and a fierce stare on her face, making everyone look at her quickly then get back to their own conversations. It was then that Kyo walked through the door, or rather being pushed very forcefully by his teacher, though the door.

"Come on Kyo, you have to go in."

"WHY? Can't I just stay outside!?"

"Don't answer back now sit down!"

Kyo slumped into the classroom and spotted Yuki looking at him. Immediately turning red, he sat down irritably in his chair. "Don't even look at me you filthy Rat!" he said, looking straight ahead at the wall knowing full well that Yuki was still staring at him.

Tohru smiled nervously. Kyo couldn't possibly have missed all the photos around the school; she was surprised he stayed when he got here. Kyo sat in his seat, arms crossed leaning back on his chair bluntly refusing to look at Yuki, who by now had turned away, his fuse relit at seeing Kyo acting like this and the memory of what he thought they were doing this morning returning.

As the teacher went about his business, doing the register and reading out other notes, Yuki started to fume again.

_How can he just sit there?_ He thought angrily, looking up at the teacher, _He must see these photos, why doesn't he organise the teachers to take them down? This is the most embarrassing day of my life._

He glanced over to some other students who quickly looked away from him and starting talking quietly, every now and then taking a quick glance at him. Yuki turned to glare at his desk, reforming images of drowning Shigure in the bath or poisoning him with his own cooking. As the teacher droned on, the students were starting to get restless. The whispers about Yuki started to get a little louder, Uo glaring about the classroom. Yuki's glare stayed fixed at his desk. He wasn't going to look at anyone. He hated to think what they thought of him now, what they were talking about, how disgusted everyone thought.

"Psst, hey Yuki."

Yuki risked a glance behind to see the guy at a few desks behind him, smiling slightly, then winking at him. Yuki blushed annoyed and quickly looked back to the front of the class. The fuse was getting very dangerous to exploding. Grabbing his desk lid he flew it open to get his books when…

…there lying inside was one of the photos…

The bomb exploded.

Yuki got out of his chair so fast it flew back into the desk behind him. Grabbing the photo, he stormed out of the classroom, ignoring the teachers' orders to sit back down. Absolutely mortified at Shigure, he walked down the now empty corridors to one of the school pay phones. As much as he wanted to go home to murder Shigure in some horrible and painful way, he wouldn't have enough time to go home so screaming at him down the phone would have to do for now.

"Yeeello?" came Shigure's cheerful voice.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Yuki screamed at him.

"Ahhh, Yuki!" the still cheerful voice responded, "And what may I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"ARE YOU INSANE? Don't pretend you don't know you IDIOT!!"

There seemed to be a snicker from the other end, "I see you found the photo in your desk."

"In my desk?…IN MY DESK?! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!!"

There was a short pause before Shigure asked, "…Everywhere?"

"_Yes_ everywhere, I'm going to KILL you when I get home!"

"But I only put the picture in your desk."

Yuki's furious face subsided slightly. Shigure sounded very honest, like he truly didn't know. "What do you mean just in my desk?"

"Well you found that cutesy little photo—"

"--Shigure."

"That photo in your desk right?"

"Yes. But there are others all around the school. There must be hundreds of them."

It was then the school bell rang in indicating the start of lessons.

Another pause at the end of line, "Yuki, I have no idea. I swear it was only the one in your desk I put, just for a little harmless fun really. But I don't know what your talking about, saying there all over the school."

Pupils began to vacate their classrooms to head off to their next class, filling out into the corridor where Yuki was.

Yuki seemed to turn white, "Well if you didn't put them up…then who--?"

Yuki dropped the phone. He had glanced to his left to see a certain someone half way to sticking up another photo on the wall, and the pupils in the corridor suddenly pausing and gazing in curiosity.

"Hey who's that?" asked one girl to her friend.

"I don't know."

Yuki stared unbelieving, "AYAME!?"

Ayame looked up from the photo to Yuki and grinned, "Ahhhh!! My dear brother!"

Tohru suddenly ran out the classroom, darting her eyes around to find Yuki. She spotted him to her left and began to run over to him when she saw Ayame and another familiar crowd beginning to gather round. From Yuki's other side down the corridor walked Haru, being followed by a very large group of girls giggling and asking him questions he was refusing to even acknowledge. Beside him was Momiji, poking him in the ribs and laughing.

Yuki noticed the crowd getting rather large again and stormed up to Ayame, hand out stretched to grab the pile of photos he was holding ready to be pinned up.

"Here Yuki!" Yuki stopped mid pause for Ayame had suddenly whipped out something on a hanger, something that all the girls standing the corridor where currently squealing excitedly over, "I brought this in for you to wear! I just know Haru would love to see you in it HAHAHAAA!!"

Haru, seeing what was going on, walked up behind Yuki at hearing that statement prepared to snap back. But when he saw what Ayame was holding, his Black side decided that would be rather nice and instead of saying anything just stood still and stared rather bizarrely at the item, his two personalities fighting over what he should really be thinking about it.

"You…you…" Yuki couldn't think what to say as he stared at this item of clothing being held in front of him.

One of Ayame's most popular items he held in his hand. The Maid's Uniform. Only this time instead of the usual black fabric with the white apron, this was a violet colour with a faded pink apron. A few frilly pieces of fabric on the hem of the skirt and around the arms.

"It'll match your eyes don't you think?" Ayame grinned.

The girls around them all started giggling and nodding in agreement.

"You………………

……………………

……YOU IDIOT!!!!"

-----

"This cannot be!" Motoko pleaded to sky, as she stared hopelessly out the window in her latest Prince Yuki Fan Club meeting. She held up the photo of Yuki and Haru and looked at it sadly, "All this time I had been keeping girls away from him, and never once did I think to keep guys away as well."

"Err, President?"

Motoko suddenly glared at the picture and screwed it up in her hand, spinning around to face her other members. "This will not be allowed to happen! Yuki belongs to us and us alone! We must win back our Prince!"

Minami seemed too hung up about the photo and sat there in tears over her Prince.

"But how?" said Mai, looking at her own picture of Yuki and Haru before Motoko stormed over and grabbed it.

"We need a plan!" She said, tearing up the photo (HEY! That's MINE!), "The ultimate plan! We will prevail!" she yelled as she slammed her hands down on the table.

Miho had her finger on her chin in thought staring up at the ceiling, when suddenly her eyes widened and she shot her hand up in the air, "Hey I know! Tomorrow is exactly one week until our Christmas holidays start right?"

"Yes. You have a plan?"

"Yep!" She rose from her chair and walked over to Motoko, the others getting up and forming a small whispering group, "Okay, here's what we do. After school…"

To Be Continued…

**AN:** May I point out that I don't actually like this chapter. It was written with no inspiration at all and I've re-read it so many times and there is just something missing from it. I feel like I haven't described enough but I don't know what of. So I may re-write this chapter slightly later on, but for now it'll do. I'll tell you when/if I re-write it.


	9. Wouldn't Be So Bad

Thanks to all my reviewers!

**Gia**

**Mistress of the Red Kiwi** – lol Aya has his reasons.

**Kativa-Chan** – Oh no don't worry lol I was just pointing it out. Sorry to disappoint anyone who is kinda hoping Tohru and Kyo will get together but there won't be anything other than the usual interaction between them.

**DarkangelWings**

**NeuroticSquirrel**

**Chisato Shidou** - hehe, ah yes, it was my plan all along! I bribed Shigure into taking the picture and blackmailed Ayame into putting them up MWHAHAHAAAAA!

**Cattu** - YEY! Thank you! :)

**a breezy era** – Ooo, you should like this chapter then :)

**C-chan** - I'm so incredibly sorry I didn't update sooner. Reason below:

-----

**AN:** I'M SOOORRRRYYY!!! Man I must do this in like every chapter! First it's the Flu, now I went and done my back in so I couldn't sit down at all. And I had a whole week off work because of it!! All that time to write fanfics and I couldn't!!! Then just as my back started to feel better and I sat down to write this fanfic for the first time in a week, my Fushigi Yuugi DVD's came so I watched all 52 episodes of that instead! ARGHH! Which I might add I don't know what to make of that anime. Nuriko and 'that' episode. Nuff said. Still, after watching that I of course got into a new pairing (Nuriko and Hotohori –sigh-) so I had to get the immense amount of fanfiction reading out the way quickly because I know you were all waiting on me to carry on with this!! So, after having my fill for the moment of Nuriko I can now get back to the heavenly pairing of Haru and Yuki. :) And so, with a heavy sigh of relief (and removing all hate mail from her inbox for not continuing quicker, seriously, and if that someone who did write that 'particular' email is bothering to continue to read this, get a life!), I bring you...

**Chapter 9: Wouldn't Be So Bad**

Ayame sat in the passenger seat of Hatori's car looking rather depressed, which for Ayame was quite a strange sight. He sat leaning his elbow against the window staring out to the back of Hatori talking with two of Yuki's school teachers, Yuki standing nearby with his head lowered. Ayame sighed and raised the bag of ice to his head, wincing slightly where his younger brother had punched him. He peered back over at them, trying to lip read what was being said. The two teachers seemed to be listening intently to whatever Hatori was saying, Hatori suggesting towards the car. The older of the teachers, a fairly tall man with greying hair and brown suit, looked over at Ayame and almost seemed to sigh. The younger male teacher, Yuki's class teacher, had his arms folded across his chest in matter of seriousness, looking at Yuki with a bemused expression on his face as if he was trying to decide whether to be angry or sympathetic. A few moments later, the older teacher walked up to Yuki and put his hand on his shoulder, Yuki still looking at the floor. Something was said and Yuki nodded quietly, the teacher walking away. A few more words were passed between Hatori and the class teacher before he turned to take Yuki back into the school. Hatori watched them go before turning around and heading back to his car. Climbing into the drivers seat Hatori simply sat there, no attempt to start the car, just sat, waiting for Ayame to say something.

"…..So-"

"You're lucky it wasn't suspension, but due to the circumstances of what you were doing to provoke him, and our old school head master knowing exactly what you used to be like, they sympathised. Yuki's been given detention."

Ayame had the decency to look away, feeling like he was the one being scowled by a teacher. A few silent moments passed before Ayame spoke up, "I just…don't understand." He said quietly, still looking away. Hatori turned his head to look at him, noticing the bruising beginning to show around his right eye. "I mean, I'm sorry for causing Yuki to act like that, but I don't understand why. I thought he would be happy that he shared something as special as he does with Haru, even if he doesn't realise it yet. I thought it wouldn't matter that people knew, that they may even encourage him. That's what I was doing, trying to bring them together a little more."

"And you thought that would help by bringing in a dress for him to wear?"

Ayame sighed, "Well, maybe I did go a little far on that side now I think about it. But I thought if people knew how they felt about each other, they wouldn't be so pressured to hide it. Yuki wouldn't feel he needed to. I want him to be happy." Ayame chuckled wryly, "I guess I really am not very good at anything like this am I?"

"Completely disastrous is another way of putting it."

Ayame sighed again, "I truly didn't mean to cause him so much trouble, I just wanted to see him with Haru. After how protective I saw Haru was when he chased Shigure and I away, I just knew that's what Yuki needed, after...everything." Ayame lowered his head, shifting his arm slightly and gently touching his black eye.

Hatori gazed at him for a moment. Ayame was beyond a doubt completely hopeless. He really did try hard after all, just in completely the wrong way. He'd never had to do anything like this before, and in that way, and that way only, Hatori felt a little sorry for him. He looked back at the steering wheel and brought out his keys, starting the engine.

"I know you mean well Ayame," he started, putting the car into gear, "You just always go about it the wrong way. Next time you want to do something for Yuki, make sure you ask someone you're doing the right thing first."

"What about--?"

"Shigure doesn't count."

-----

Tohru glanced at the clock for the 6th time in the last 20 minutes. It was already 10pm and Yuki still hadn't returned from his detention after school.

"Jeez what the hell are they making him do?" said Kyo, "Not that I really care." He quickly covered, going back to watching Takeshi's Castle on the TV, snorting with laughter as one of the contestants got caught out moving and rolled down the hill in his giant Peach suit. 1

It was at that moment that there was a loud crashing sound of the sliding door being slid back into place very harshly when a very rigid looking Yuki came into the Living room. He looked exhausted, his hair looking dusty and eyes dull, but above all, he looked furious, a glare that made even Kyo bite back any comments he was trying to thinking of.

Dumping his bag by the wall, Yuki took a quick glance around the room, "Where's Haru?" His voice was stern, obviously trying to contain the anger he felt.

Tohru didn't like that, "Umm, he-he's upstairs in your room doing hom—"

But before she could finish Yuki was already half way up the stairs. She frowned worryingly. What was Yuki going to do? She felt like they were only minutes away from some kind of horrific tornado, the pressure building and building before suddenly it would just release and the world around them would explode. She didn't like that feeling when she knew it was coming from Yuki, someone usually so kind and peaceful. She had watched him throughout the day after he had returned from the fight he had gotten into with Ayame in the middle of the crowded school corridor. It had scared her to see him fighting like that. Yuki looked like he was ready to kill his brother, seemingly not to care about the audience he had and the three teachers that were trying to tear them apart. When Yuki had returned to class he didn't seem to have any emotion on his face at all, refusing to look at anyone, not even her. Throughout lunch Yuki had gone round the entire school tearing down every photo he could find, his eyes gaining a little more anger with every one he took down, each of them obviously reminding him about why he had tried to beat up his brother. After lunch and the school was finally clear of the photos, Yuki's anger really began to boil again. No one talked to him. After what they had seen him do in the corridor, this was a new light they were seeing him in, and although he didn't know it, nearly all the students were on his side, now they knew it was just an 'idiotic prank' they could understand why he would act the way he did for they would probably have down the same. The strangest thing of all though is that Haru had tried to talk to him, but every time he got anywhere near Yuki, Yuki would glare at him and walk away, leaving a confused and sad expression on Haru's face. She had seen the look on his face when Yuki first began to tear down the photos during lunch. Haru watched with lifeless eyes at the sharp movements Yuki ripped the photos down and tearing them up, his brow slightly furrowed as if he was disappointed he was watching them being taken down. When the end of school came, Yuki automatically headed straight to the teachers lounge for his detention, and when Haru run out of his own classroom door running down the corridor towards Yuki, Yuki brushed straight passed him without so much as a glance.

Yes, Tohru could feel it. This wasn't a normal anger, something in Yuki had snapped, and she wasn't sure if either one of them was going to come out unharmed.

-----

The door to Yuki's room slid open so harshly it bounced back, but Yuki had already stormed through. He found Haru standing on the balcony, staring out into the black treetops, his breath like mist in the chilly air. Hearing the door, he turned around.

SLAP!

Haru's wide eyes found himself staring down to the floor on his left, his right cheek stinging red. Slowly looking back up, he found Yuki glaring wrathfully at him, standing in the doorway from the balcony to his room blocking any escape exits. Not that Haru would have a reason to escape. Why was Yuki angry with him?

"Yuki..." Haru started, not quite sure what to ask.

"You know," Yuki began through clenched teeth, "Now I'm here I don't even know what to say to you."

His eyes almost seemed to be wavering, and to be truthful the look Yuki was giving him scared Haru. "Yuki...I...don't know what's wrong."

It became apparent that that was the wrong thing to say.

"DON'T KNOW?! YOU PLANNED THIS!!"

Haru blinked. He hadn't expected him to say anything remotely like that. And more importantly he had no idea what to say that wouldn't make Yuki even madder, if that was possible. He chose to be quiet. He didn't know what Yuki was talking about, but whatever it was he obviously needed to get it out of his system, so Haru just stood there facing him, taking everything Yuki through at him.

"You were walking around school this morning with that stupid grin on your face after that fight. You were HAPPY that those photos were up weren't you!? No other normal person would be happy after being humiliated like that; you probably made Shigure take that photo and wound Ayame in to put them up making him think he was doing something right for a change! I can't believe you!!"

It was that point Haru felt like he should say something, trying to ignore the pang of pain that ripped through him at that point, "You think I would get a kick out of putting those photos up?"

"Well obviously you did! You didn't see me smiling did you!? This has been the most humiliating day of my life thanks to you! And to think I was starting to say to myself that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay with you!! I thought that kiss was supposed to mean something!!" Haru shot his head up at that point, eyes wide, unbelievingly but hopeful. But it seemed Yuki didn't realise what he had said, "It disgusts me to think you would do something like that!! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS AKITO!"

The brightness in Haru's eyes suddenly disappeared and that pang of pain returned shooting through his heart turning it into anger. Before Yuki could continue in his rant Haru ruthlessly pushed on his shoulders backwards into the room, Yuki's knees buckling as he hit the side of the bed falling down with Haru on top of him. But for once that didn't deter him, Yuki was as furious as hell and the thought that Haru was trying to do 'this' _now_ only served to fuel his anger.

So it was a surprise when he found himself unable to move, Haru having trapped his hands at his sides, livid grey eyes glaring down at his own. Although he was still angry, Yuki suddenly felt like he had lost the upper hand. These were eyes Yuki had never seen up close, and _never _directed at him. He lost the words to say as Haru continued to glare at him.

"Don't…_ever_…compare me to Akito." Haru's voice was quiet, low and dangerous, and it was difficult to tell if Haru had turned Black or not.

But that wasn't the main thought Yuki was having. Haru had never gotten this kind of angry before when someone mentioned Akito. A year ago Kyo was idiotic enough to, admittedly jokingly, but compared Haru to Akito for his rapid loss of emotional control, and was sent flying through a window.

But this.

This was an anger Haru just didn't do. He was either calm or furious, not a calm furious.

It was…disconcerting.

"_Don't_ compare me to him." He repeated slowly, not once looking away. A few quiet moments passed, as the cold night winter air blew around the room. Haru very slowly rose up off of Yuki and he sat down on the bed next to him, looking away to the side. Yuki stayed where he was. "I don't know why you think I had a hand in doing this," Haru said, his voice having lost the sudden harshness, but it held a tone that said not to be interrupted, "but I was just as surprised as you were to see those photos this morning." Yuki slowly sat up and moved back to his headboard leaning against it. For some reason he suddenly felt very tired. "It hurts me to think that you would automatically think I would do something as low as that."

Yuki glanced away. He was ashamed, that's why he felt tired. He glanced back to look at Haru's back, as he sat there on the edge of the bed looking away through the balcony doors.

"I'm sorry," Yuki began, his voice too having lost its harshness, and now almost seemed lost and childlike "But if you didn't have anything to do with it, then why aren't you angry?"

Haru stayed looking outside, watching the stars disappear as an invisible night cloud drifted over them, "Well," he started, almost whispering, "I guess as far as I'm concerned, I don't see why I should be angry. I mean, I was angry at first, but when I thought about it, I didn't know why I was. I have nothing to hide, and now everyone knows how I feel about you, I won't have to hide anything at all. It won't matter any more how I act around you, or if I hug you or—"

"Haru we are not together there is a lot to hide."

Haru's shoulders slumped slightly and he turned to look at Yuki, eyelids slightly lowered, "I know we're not."

It was such a simple sentence, but the tone of Haru's voice made Yuki feel guilty. But why should he feel guilty for not being with him? Come to think of it, Haru had been waiting patiently for years now, but never once, at least in his normal white personality, has he ever tried to push a further relationship with him. He just stuck by him, and for the first time Yuki realised that Haru truly wanted to be with him. It was a strange thing to realise really, especially now of all times. All this time, if Yuki had asked, Haru would have been round here like a shot. Yuki pondered this as he watched Haru, the pale moonlight filtering though the open balcony. Haru was one of a kind that was for sure. He was the kind of person who looks out for others. His white personality was one that would spend hours in the pouring rain looking for a lonely lost child, and make sure she was happy again before leaving her. Yuki thought back to that day when Haru had hugged Kisa after she spoke for the first time. He was so protective of her, so caring.  
He so badly regretted comparing him to Akito now, he hadn't really meant to, he was just so angry he didn't really realise what he was saying.

"Am I really something to be so ashamed of?"

Yuki's eyes widened slightly. Ashamed? Someone who loves and cares like he does? Yuki looked away again, now _really_ feeling ashamed of himself.

"No." _Come to think of it, why am I angry?_

Haru's eye lightened at that one word and his expression softened. Quietly, he crawled over the bed and sat next to Yuki, gathering him up in his arms.

"Good," he said softly, "I don't like to think you don't like me."

_Why am I angry?_ Yuki continued to think, as he slowly put his arms around Haru in return and resting his head under Haru's chin,

_Why should I be angry about this?  
_  
-----

Shigure sat in his office chair staring up at the ceiling above him. He had over heard the shouting part of Yuki and Haru's 'conversation'. Now it was quiet, he figured they had either made up or punched each other out. Shigure hoped it was the first one before splitting into a soppy grin,

"Ah, the lovers first tiff."

-----

Tohru knelt at the table chewing the sleeves of the light blue jumper she was wearing over her school uniform. Unfortunately for Kyo and Shigure, Tohru was so worried about Yuki and Haru that she had hardly slept at all, and when she came downstairs didn't start making breakfast but instead just sat down and stared at the door where she waited for them both to walk down the stairs. No matter how much she had tried to calm herself thinking that they obviously made up as Haru wasn't sleeping down here, she just couldn't keep herself from shaking with worry, and Kyo wondered if she was going to have a nervous breakdown. He sat there facing her, stomach uncomfortably growling its protest at being empty, where it seemed he had somehow got into a one sided blinking competition with her, Tohru not paying attention at all, and Kyo wondering if she realised he was even there.

Haru walked into the room.

Tohru shot up from the floor.

Yuki walked into the room.

Tohru smiled hopefully.

.......They were holding hands.

Tohru stared for a moment before smiling an ecstatic grin. Kyo stared for a moment before rolling his eyes in distaste and walking away into the kitchen. Shigure walked in through the front door with a shopping bag, stared for a moment, before his face started to turn red as he walked past them to the kitchen, desperately trying not to burst into giggles.

-----

Yuki, Haru, Tohru and Kyo all walked to school together. It had begun to snow ever so lightly, but not enough for it to start settling just yet. Tohru was in a deep conversation with Yuki, smiling so much he was sure her face would just divide in two. Haru and Kyo walked with them in silence, Kyo often glancing across at Haru who seemed to be staring at him.

Once. Twice. Again. Another glance.

"WHAT?!" Kyo demanded, startling Tohru from her talk and looked at Kyo.

Haru blinked, "Nothing." he said calmly.

Kyo clenched his fists trying to calm his out burst before growling loudly and storming off down the road.

"Kyo!!" Tohru called out, running after him.

Yuki smiled, Tohru felt like she had to always look after all of them, it was sweet. This of course left him alone with Haru. They weren't far from the school, so Haru just smiled at him and continued walking, Yuki at his side.  
Yuki started to run over in his mind everything that had happened. He woke up this morning still hugging Haru on his bed. His automatic reaction was to move as soon as possible, but as the panic surprisingly and quickly subsided, he decided this was actually very nice.  
That thought had scared him, and he had slowly looked up at Haru's sleeping face, slightly turned towards Yuki. No, it wasn't because it was Haru. Any Sohma welcomes any hugs they can get without turning into an animal. Any hug from anyone was treasured, as there were very few they ever got, especially in Yuki's case. Yes, that was it. It was nice to be hugged, by anyone, not just Haru.

_"I was starting to say to myself that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay with you!!"  
_  
Yuki prayed to whatever God existed that Haru hadn't really taken that in, for the simple reason that, when looking at Haru's peaceful face so close to him, his arms wrapped around him so warmly, it was beginning to feel like a good idea.

And he didn't feel like he deserved him.

Walking down the pathway past the school gates, Yuki forced away the blush he felt thinking about the boy next to him wrapping his arms around him and looked up to see Kyo and Tohru having stopped nearer the school, seemingly staring at something. Yuki suddenly had a cold feeling of dread, and apparently Haru had thought the same for they both ran up behind them to see what was happening.

The blush Yuki was trying to hide decided to make its appearance.

The school was covered in Mistletoe.

To Be Continued...

1 – Ahh, Takeshi's Castle. Dunno if the USA shows it (although they must do as the US is so lucky to have entire channels dedicated to anime when us poor English have only a Cartoon Network that shows Dragonball Z and Outlaw Star and that is about IT anime wise), but it is a Japanese active gameshow dubbed over in English (hosted by Craig Charles, the guy who plays Lister in Red Dwarf, again if anyone has seen that either), and it is just absolutely hilarious! The scene I put in here that Kyo was watching was where about 10 people had to dress up in giant Peach costumes and try to walk up this slippery plastic up this hill. There would be a guy at the top looking away from them and if he turned around all the Peaches have to stop moving. If the guy sees one move they have to deliberately fall over and go rolling down the hill. It's so funny!! Look out for it!


	10. Worse Then Yesterday

Thanks to all my reviewers!!: Really thanks so much for sticking with this guys! To think I started writing this on the 2nd of Jan, still going strong thanks to all of your support :) I have a funny feeling I've missed a couple of thank you's to some of my reviewers, so if it's you, sorry and THANK YOU!!!

**NeuroticSquirrel:** I am the Happy-guru! (you know I wrote Haru-guru just now without even realising it lol)

**tracy** So what if you're an adult anime lover? To be honest there are more adult anime lovers anyway, which is why I just CANNOT understand my mum. She has yet to see the finer art of the wonderful life that is anime (quickly shoves all her mangas/dvds/plushies under her bed) ROOMS TIDY MUM! (I'm 19 HA! Also proceeds to tear down the Satellite for the England Cartoon Network and nicks the US one instead, MHAHAHAHAAA!)

**Gia**

**Chisato Shidou:** :) All better now thanks!

**Takeshi fan:** lol It probably was yes, I've only seen a couple of episodes myself, I just really liked it.

**C-chan:** YEY AN FY FAN! Just forced all my friends to watch a weekend marathon of it, all 52 episodes plus the OVA's, hehe! I was awake for 32 hours before I just had to sleep and watch the rest later lol

**P-Chanmisao**

**Kativa-Chan:** Actually, it might not lead to what you're thinking...

**a breezy era:** Hey, you know its funny you should mention a character like that, remember the guy in Yuki's class who ;) at him after seeing the photos?.......... (evil knowing cackle)

**SpringSnow**

**------**

**Chapter 10: Worse Than Yesterday**

---the night before---

"You know I guess it's kinda convenient the Prince got detention after all, other wise we'd be breaking into our own school."

"Hey that's right! Just imagine what would happen if we set an alarm off?"

"Who the heck would alarm a school? 'Oh no, a group of hard tattooed criminals are trying to steal all the Math books whatever shall we do?'"

The group of girls burst into quiet giggles before being harshly shushed by their leader. Motoko looked out of the bush they were hiding in and looked at the front door of Kaibara High. The lights were still on in the main hallway, so it looked like Prince Yuki was still in his detention even at 8pm. The school was open and vulnerable to their plan. Turning around crouching down in the undergrowth, she eyed her companions sternly.

"Okay, quick check over. Torches?"

"Check!"

"Sticky tac?"

"Check!"

"Cellotape?"

"Check!"

"Walkie Talkies?"

"Check!"

Motoko then turned to Miho, "Number 1, you have the, 'special ingredient' yes?"

Miho grinned slyly and took out a large cardboard box from the bushes, "All ready and waiting President!" she said, as she idly tapped the top of the box.

Motoko smiled and closed her eyes, imagining the shrill of victory already, as Yuki would soon return to them. For the moment, she would have to ignore the perhaps over excited girls that would be around Yuki tomorrow. She was willing to sacrifice a little of her love if it meant winning the Prince back to the 'correct' side.

"Okay," she concluded, "I don't know how long we're going to have. I know that Prince Yuki's detention is in the basement thanks to the wonderful information collected by Minami," She shuddered slightly at the thought of her poor Yuki sorting out all that junk down there all by himself, "which as you know the entrance to the basement is right opposite the front door. Therefore work from the outside in understand?" The girls nodded their agreement, "Number 2, I want you to stay here."

"WHAT?"

"If Prince Yuki and whichever teacher is with him should come out of the front door we will be trapped inside, I need you to tell us when they move."

Mai sighed, "Oh, okay."

And so, with the equipment passed around, the three other girls disappeared through the front door of Kaibara High leaving a sulking Mai sitting in the bushes peering through a window.

-----

"Jeez how much longer is this gonna take!?" Mai whined, wrapping her coat around herself even tighter.

It may have stopped snowing during the day, but it was getting close to 10pm now and everything was starting to freeze, including her gaze which hadn't moved from looking through the window staring at the door that led to the schools basement. She could see the light through the crack under the door so Yuki was still down there.

"My poor Prince," she muttered, breathing into her hands to try and ignite some life in them, before yawning loudly.

"Number 2?"

"WAH!?" Mai startled, snapping around behind her to find no one there.

"Mai are you there?" Mai stared wide-eyed for a moment before looking down at her Walkie Talkie, "NUMBER 2!"

"Aaah yes?" she said nervously, holding the portable radio to her ear.

"The mission has been completed. How does our escape exit look, over?"

Mai took one look back through the window, "They're still down there, so it's clear, over."

Just as she said that her three friends appeared from different doors in the main entrance, all cautiously looking towards the basement door.

Which opened.

All hair suddenly standing on end, the three sprinted to the front door and ran through, just in time to see Yuki's class teacher walk through the basement door with Yuki behind him. The four girls ran into the bushes where they had been hiding before and watched as the lights were turned off and the two figures walked through.

"I expect you bright and early tomorrow Yuki."

"Yes Sir." Yuki replied, calm to his teacher, but a deeper tone that warned trouble.

The two walked their separate ways and when they were far enough away Minami, Miho and Mai did a joint High5.

"We did it!"

"Yey!!"

"There's no way Prince Yuki can get away from girls now, he has to turn back to us!"

As the lower three girls of the club chatted, Motoko got up and placed the last piece of Mistletoe above the school entrance. Yes, they were right. There was no way Yuki was going to be able to hide from girls tomorrow. _He'll come back to me...just you watch Hatsuharu Sohma!  
_  
---Present time---

_No way…is this happening._ Yuki stared unbelievingly at the school front doors, a large spring of mistletoe hanging from it. Glancing through one of the windows to his right, he looked with mild terror at the mistletoe hanging above every classroom door down the corridor.

_Every_ classroom door, which means he would _have_ to walk under it at some point, which meant--

"Yuuuuuki!!"

The front doors suddenly sprung open and nearly every girl in the school was standing inside the main entrance gawping at him. It was like a scene in some very mixed up horror movie. They just stood there like statues, freakish heart shaped eyes just staring, watching, and waiting for him to walk under the door so they could all run up to him and pounce like he was some prize at the end of a race.

"Errrr..." began Tohru, glancing at Yuki who seemed to be frozen to the ground. The second he'd walk through that door every girl would leap at him, which was bad for quite a few reasons.

Suddenly Haru walked behind Kyo, "I know" and pushed him under the door.

"Hey what the--?" but before Kyo could managed another word a group of girls ran from the crowd waiting for Yuki and ran towards Kyo arms outstretched and squealing in delight.

Kyo yelped and turned on his heal, as the girls sprinted after him shouting, "There's no point in running Kyo!! You've already walked under the Mistletoe now you have to be kissed!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"

Tohru turned to look at Haru as he crept passed the door with Yuki using Kyo as a distraction, "What?" he asked when he met her gaze, "I figured there'd be at least a few Kyo fans in there."

-----

Today wasn't being a very good day, although compared to yesterday Yuki had to agree that it was marginally better. It was very difficult to avoid girls when they were deliberately following you around trying to catch you walking under a branch of the strategically placed plant hanging up over every doorframe. So, Yuki was quite relieved when lunch came and he had a Student Council meeting to attend to while all the rest of the school stayed in the lunch hall. As he walked down the empty corridor to the meeting room, a boy walked through a door and closed it behind him, turning around to lean against it folding his arms across his chest. Paying no attention to him, Yuki walked straight passed.

"I gotta say I had my suspicions."

Yuki stopped walking and turned to face the boy. His name was Kane Murasaki from Yuki's class. He was around the same height as Yuki, messy short raven- black hair with three bangs that fell in his eyes that all varied in length. He wore a deep violet silk headscarf around his forehead that fed back around his head under his hair, falling down at the back floating lightly over his left shoulder. He was also quite the scruff, with his school shirt half un-tucked around his waist.

"Excuse me?"

The boy tossed his hair away from his eyes, making the silk scarf fall away from his shoulder and fall loosely at his back, and peered over at Yuki, smirking ever so slightly, "My suspicions. I mean come on, you've never let any girl near you since you've been here except that Honda girl, but even then you don't exactly touch her."

Yuki frowned annoyed. He remembered now why he, nor anyone else, never spoke to this boy. When he had first come to this school a few year ago, this guy was always staring at him. No one ever spoke to him, he was like the class freak, and as the thought just entered Yuki's mind he remembered he was also the one who had winked at him yesterday during class.

"Your point being?" Yuki tried to ask as politely as possible.

Kane closed his eyes briefly and chuckled quietly, standing up straight from leaning against the wall. "My point being," he started, walking right in front of Yuki and staring at him with lustful golden eyes, "Is that I knew you were just like me."

And kissed him!

Yuki's eyes flashed wide and he pulled back sharply, wiping at his mouth with his sleeve. Kane just stood there, eyes lowered and smiling as Yuki stared at him in disgust for a moment before turning and running off down the corridor, a complete loss at what to say to him. Kane slowly licked the bottom of his lip as Yuki ran out of sight heading down a different corridor. Turning around, Kane walked towards the lunchroom, a new quest in mind. If the handsome Prince Yuki actually went for guys like he did, then he sure as hell wasn't going to loose such a precious item to Hatsuharu Sohma!

-----

On second thoughts, today was only a step away from being just as bad as yesterday. The student council meeting had finished and he now had 15 minutes left to grab some lunch. However as watched his fellow council attendants leave the meeting room and he got up himself to walk out, he froze at the doors exit. Ahead of him stood two girls, whispering among themselves and looking over at Yuki hopefully. Yuki didn't really need to look, but he did anyway. Above the doorframe hung an innocent branch of Mistletoe, unaware of the trouble it was currently causing in Yuki's existence. Yuki quickly looked around the room he was in to check that there were no other exits, any doors, window...air vents? But nothing.

"Looks like there's no way out." Mai whispered, as they watched the nervous Yuki look around the room.

"He can't escape, this is finally our chance to show him what he's missing." Said Motoko, as they both began to advance towards him.

Looking back to the girls Yuki began to panic. Even if he _wanted _to kiss them they can't get close to him, or something a lot more shocking than that photo would happen. All rational thoughts leaving, Yuki prayed he'd be able to loose them in the lunch hall if only he could get there. So, bracing himself, he ran through the door and sprinted down the hallway, the two girls in strong pursuit. They had of course seen him under the Mistletoe, even if it was for half a second it was enough of an excuse for them.

Skidding round a corner like on ice, Yuki continued running, ignoring one of the teachers calling out to him to stop running in the hallways. Suddenly from his left, a hand appeared from an open door and Yuki was yanked inside, the door shutting quickly behind them. Yuki listened as the running footsteps of the girls ran straight past the door and he let loose a small sigh of relief. Turning around to say thank you to his saviour, he found himself staring into the shimmering golden orbs that belonged to Kane.

"Your welcome." Kane smiled all too sweetly, not that Yuki had said anything.

Yuki glowered at him for a moment before turning back to the door, "Yes, thank you." He said flatly, placing his hand on the door handle.

"Wait a minute."

Kane walked up behind him and placed his hand on the one Yuki was about the open the door with. Yuki quickly snatched his hand away defensively and stared challengingly at him, "If you don't mind I have to go lunch."

"Just give me a second." Kane said, standing in front of the door, his crafty eyes obviously knowing what he was doing, "I only want to ask something, that's all." Yuki eyed him carefully. He apparently wasn't going to get out until Kane had said what he wanted, so he just nodded. "What would you say if I asked you out for a meal tomorrow evening?"

There were a lot of certain words that came to mind to answer that, but politeness taking over him as usual, Yuki simply replied with, "I'm sorry Murasaki but I don't like boys like that."

Kane scoffed at that, "Oh really. So what's Hatsuharu? A girl?"

"I'm not with Haru." Yuki said calmly. He could see the automatic comeback that was going to have, so quickly elaborated, "That photo was an accident taken by my idiotic cous—"

"It's just _one_ meal." Kane interrupted; slightly annoyed that Yuki was saying he apparently wasn't interested in boys after all, "I'm not gonna do anything."

"You already have." Yuki said, referring to the kiss he gave him. Kane looked taken back slightly, but then frowned annoyed inside.

"Fine." He said begrudgingly, taking a step away from the door.

Which is when it came flying open from the other side, banging straight into the back of Kane who stumbled forward, grabbing onto Yuki's shirt to steady himself, but instead ending up ripping it straight down as he fell to the floor. Yuki stood there half stunned as Motoko stood at the door out of breath, Mai behind her staring at a once again half naked Yuki. Yuki looked down to see Kane was kneeling right in front of him where he had fallen, his arms resting around his thighs where he had tried to stop himself from falling, and his head…well…at a reasonable level of suggestion to make Motoko stare unbelievingly as Mai fainted behind her.

Yuki suddenly gathered what they thought was happening.

"No, no no you don't—"

"What's going on in here?"

To make matters worse, Yuki's class teacher walked into view. The look of mortified shock on his face told Yuki he too thought they were doing....something else. _Why the hell isn't Kane moving!?  
_  
After a far too long pause, Yuki's teacher decided he'd better say something, "Murasaki." He said sternly. Kane then decided to move, slowly getting up from kneeling in front of Yuki and turned around to face the teacher. "Go back to your class." He said, not taking his eyes of Yuki who wished he could be anywhere other than here at this moment, as Kane walked past them through the door, stepping over Mai, and out of sight without a word or glance. The teacher moved forward and picked up the torn piece of Yuki's shirt that had fallen to the floor and turned away, stopping as he went through the door,

"I think it's time I had a talk with you Yuki."

On third thoughts, this day was _definitely_ much worse than yesterday.

To be continued...

**AN:** Ah, introducing the character of Kane Murasaki. Now then, I cannot draw. It is a fact of life. However, if by any chance one of you delightful readers loves to draw and (eventually) likes my character of Kane, if you feel like drawing him for me please do!! :) I wanna put a pic of him on my profile (all rights and thank you's to the drawer obviously) but my attempt isn't even worth mentioning. Btw, Kane means golden (like his eyes) and Murasaki means purple (like Yuki's eyes). hehe, for some reason I just thought that name suited his character, its like he already got the gold now he's after the jewels :)


	11. State Of Confusion

Thanks to my reviewers!

**kativa chan** – hehe, I hope you like this reaction then...

**Gia** – lol I'm so cruel aren't I?

**Kamikakushi** – Akito? Hmm, yes well.....(ahem)....perhaps not in this chapter but....

**NeuroticSquirrel** – lol opps, thanks for pointing that out, been corrected now. :) And bare with me on the happiness, I just need to get this chapter out the way then I'm giving our two lovebirds a very big surprise. :)

------

**AN:** Sorry for the lack of Haru/Yuki goodness in the last chapter, but hopefully the end of this chapter should make up for that ;) And you don't KNOW the plans I have for them after that hehe.

**------**

**Chapter 11: State of Confusion**

_I really must stop worrying so much,_ Tohru thought to herself as she made her way to History class with Uo and Hana. During lunchtime registration Yuki hadn't been at his desk, and it was the teacher next door who had come to their classroom to sort things out. _I hope Yuki's okay, wherever he is._

Uo pulled Kyo to one side by his collar when he raced by being chased by the same girls this morning.

-----

Yuki sat in a small office in front of a desk where his class teacher sat behind. He had put his school jacket on to cover up the large tear in his shirt. The teacher sat with his arms crossed looking at Yuki intently as he sat there in silence, staring at the wood pane on the polished desk.

"I'm not bringing the Principal in here, reason being I think we can sort this out quietly without him being informed." Yuki continued to stare at the table, too ashamed to meet his teacher's eyes. "Now your behaviour over the last two days has been beyond unacceptable, and I thought I made that clear with your detention yesterday."

_Please no, you don't understand!  
_  
"Now I don't know what has caused you to act like this, although perhaps what I've heard about your brother from the Principal I can understand the impulsive action you took yesterday."

_Here it comes  
_  
"But that nor anything else excuses what you were doing at lunch today."

_Let me just sink into the floor  
_  
The teacher sighed at Yuki's unresponsiveness, "Look, you are one of our most promising students, I just don't want you falling down the wrong path. Now I will be having a word with Kane Murasaki later, but it's you I am more worried about. What you do in your own time is of course entirely up to you, I'm not holding that against you at all. But during school hours I _cannot_ stress enough that behaviour of that today is an utter disgrace."

Yuki felt sick. He was so ashamed even though nothing had happened. There was no point in saying that though, with the scene that his teacher must have been greeted with there wasn't much that could be said to excuse it. _I need to invest in some clothes that don't rip so easily_ Yuki's attempted joke to make him feel better didn't work.

"Now do I make myself clear when I say this behaviour must stop immediately?"

Yuki nodded slowly, "Yes sir." He managed to say without wavering.

"If I catch anything out of order again than the Principal will be informed do you understand?"

"Yes sir." he replied automatically.

The teacher watched him quietly for a moment, "Yuki look at me." He commanded softly. Yuki raised his eyes to meet his elders. "If there is anything you want to talk about, anything that's on your mind that you may have questions about...?"

Yuki's eyes widened slightly, he wasn't going to get 'The Talk' was he?

"It's just you're obviously going through the stage of...exploration, shall we say." Yuki couldn't believe he was having his conversation with his own teacher and couldn't hide the shock that was evident on his face. His teacher noticed this and smiled, "Don't worry Yuki," he chuckled, "I'm not going to say anything more on that matter. But if there is anything at all you want to talk about, I'd be more than happy to hear you out okay?" Yuki smiled faintly and nodded. "Alright then, you better get back to class."

Yuki rose from his seat and walked out of the office door, closing it behind him. Leaning against it for a moment, Yuki sighed deeply to calm his nerves. Well, that could have gone a lot worse. Where's Kyo when you need him to take your frustration out on?

"There he is!!"

Yuki turned to his left to see the all the fanclub girls standing a way all glaring at him dangerously.

"Err, don't you have class?" Yuki tried after a pause, before he found himself running for his life as the girls chased him down the corridor.

Apparently they still wanted that kiss, although some of the others looked like they were about to murder him for not; 'Liking girls the way all guys should!' Yuki wondered if he'd ever have a normal day at school ever again, running towards the History class he would have to interrupt and apologise for being late for. Once arrived he jerked open the door and practically flew inside, turning around to close it and lean against it to stop the girls from coming in. One by one there were various thumps from the other side of the door as each one of the girls ran straight into it and fell into a heap on the ground. Breathing heavily, Yuki turned around to face the class.

"You know, this is beginning to become a common occurrence with him isn't it?" said Uo to Tohru, as Yuki realised his jacket had come undone during the race to the room and was standing there bare chested in front of the class, again.

Well, at least he didn't have Haru all over him like last time.

-----

Haru yawned, entirely bored with all the girls staring at him. Exiting the class he'd just had as the end of school bell rang, he walked calmly down the corridor towards his classroom to fetch his bag and go home. He began to wonder how Yuki was coping with all this Mistletoe around, he had seen all the girls following him around hoping to get their chance at 'his' Yuki. Haru smiled stupidly to himself, wondering what it would be like if he were in the Prince Yuki Fan Club.

"WILL YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!?!"

He glanced to his right as Kyo raced past him with the same girls chasing him; "You can't get away Kyo!"

_Persistent aren't they?  
_  
He walked through a swinging door into the main entrance Hall and headed towards another corridor, passing three boys talking in the corner.

"You know I knew there was something weird about that Murasaki." Said one, picking at an invisible piece of dust on his sleeve.

"I can't believe he actually asked Yuki Sohma, of all people, on a date!"

Haru froze in the doorframe as the boys began to move away.

"I still can't believe he actually told us, it's like he's boasting about it."

"Little pervert, like anything alive would want to go out with him. I kinda feel sorry for Sohma."

One of them nudged the other in the ribs, "Aww what, you fallin' for him too?"

The other guy whacked him on the head.

As the boys walked away laughing, Haru gazed in shock at the space in front of him.

Murasaki.

He was that creepy guy in Yuki's class, always staring at everyone and smirking like his very existence was all some big plan. Haru clenched his fists at his side and narrowed his eyes, how dare some idiot like him go anywhere near Yuki! Just the very thought made him cringe! Then a very unwelcome thought entered his head. If this guy had asked Yuki out, what did Yuki say? An overwhelming urge of panic erupted as he ran to find Yuki, ignoring the protests of a girl who had caught him standing under the mistletoe in on the doorframe.

-----

The end of school bell was a very, very, _very_ nice sound. Yuki gathered the books he'd need for this evening from his locker hoping to get home as quickly as possible.

"Hey Yuki." Yuki flinched a little at that voice and turned around to see Kane standing there opening his locker with one hand. Yuki glared at him for a moment before deciding he wasn't worth it so grabbed one last book and shut his locker. "I guess you had the little chat aswel?" Kane said, as Yuki glanced his way swinging his rucksack over his shoulder.

"Goodbye Murasaki."

He was about to walk away when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a voice very close to his ear, "So what do you say? About dinner I mean?"

Yuki grabbed his hand flung it away from him, "I already said no." he said sternly, finding it very difficult to stay calm around him as he slowly got on his nerves.

He tried to walk away again but Kane grabbed his shoulder forcing Yuki to turn around and face him, "Why not?" he said, rather annoyed off he'd finally got his chance and Yuki _still_ wanted nothing to do with him.

"I already said," Yuki began, forcing his voice to be calm, "I'm sorry but I—"

"Don't say you don't like boys." Kane interrupted, "You know damn well that's not true, I mean look at that photo, and I've seen the way you look at Hatusharu." Yuki blinked. Had he really been looking at Haru like _that_? "Why can't you give me a try? I mean it's not like you're with him right? That's what you tell me, so why not?"

It scared Yuki that the guy actually had a point.

He wasn't with Haru, which is what he had been telling himself all this time. But still, the thought of going anywhere with Kane who looked like he wanted to jump him at every possible moment was not the alternative, whether he was with Haru or not. So as harsh as this was going to sound, he was going to have to be blunt with him to get the point across.

"Because I don't like you."

Kane blinked and let go of Yuki's shoulder, "Oh." He said, as if he had expected him to say that all along but a part of him hoping he wouldn't. He stood there looking at the floor for a moment before looking up and smiling, "Oh well, it doesn't matter." He said, the smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Yuki frowned, he took that awfully quickly.

"I guess it was just too good to be true to think someone would actually like me. It's no problem, can't blame me for trying huh?" he chuckled lightly. But the smile faded and he looked towards the floor again, "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "About earlier I mean. I guess I was just trying to be too confident and, it didn't come across the way I meant it to."

Yuki's expression softened, he was actually feeling a little sorry for him.

"And I'm sorry for kissing you. That was way out of line I know." He looked up from the floor and looked at Yuki, "I was just hoping that, you know, as you're the 'nice guy' around here, I was hoping that I might stand a chance to at least be friends with you if nothing else."

Yuki watched him for a moment before smiling gently, "Perhaps...you should try to listen to other people around you. You always watch everyone in the background, perhaps if you listened to how they act around their own friends, maybe you could learn how to make friends yourself." Kane blinked as if he had just realised something very very obvious, "I know people think that I'm the popular one," Yuki continued, "But until I met Miss Honda I never really spoke to anyone. She told me to just be yourself, don't try and be something your not. You're trying to hard, stop pretending, let people see you for who you really are."

Kane looked at him wide eyed, having for the first time heard someone being nice to him. He glanced to one side as if to think about his words, before looking back up at Yuki and smiling.

A true smile that this time reached his eyes.

"Thanks." He said, his smile turning into a grin, the awkwardness between them finally lifting as Yuki smiled back.

However, in the background unseen and unheard by the two of them, hiding behind a further stack of lockers and benches, a struggling Momiji was trying to hold back a growling Black Haru glaring daggers at the back of Kane's head.

"Let me go!! I'll tear him to shreds!!"

It was a little difficult to move however with the hyper blond bunny clutching to his back giggling softly, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck.

"Hhehe, Haaaruuu's jeeellooous!"

-----

"I'm home." Yuki called out to the ever-waiting Shigure, only to find himself greeted by an empty house.

Poking his head round his Office door, Yuki found Shigure asleep at his computer, his head resting on the keyboard snoring softly leaving a very long line of random letters across the screen. Yuki presumed he had been up the whole night trying to meet his deadline and was practically dead on his feet when he fell asleep. Turning around,

"Wah!"

Yuki jumped back in surprise to see Kyo standing right behind him looking utterly exhausted. "How the HELL do you deal with those…those _girls!_?" he panted, leaning one arm against the wall.

Yuki looked at him curiously, "You have a lipstick mark on your cheek." He said, pointing at the pink glossy patch.

"I KNOW!" Kyo howled, "Why the heck do you think they stopped following me!!?" and with that exclamation stormed up the stairs to wash off the offensive product.

"Hhehehee..." Yuki turned back to look at Shigure to find him giggling in his sleep. "I'll look after your daughter........heheheee.........opps did I spill that on you......."

Wanting to hear no more of whatever Shigure's perverted little mind had come up with to dream of this time, Yuki walked away and closed the door behind him. There he found Haru taking of his shoes by the door, who instantly shot up straight and hid something behind his back, a look of pure innocence shining on his face. Yuki stared at him for a moment before more of Shigure's giggling could be heard through the door, so instead walked towards the Kitchen. Haru stayed still and watched him walk out of sight, before quickly running up the stairs to Yuki's bedroom.

-----

Shigure walked into the Kitchen, his nose following the usual delicious smells found wafting around the house this time of night. He found Tohru chopping up carrots on a wooden board and he leant against the kitchen doorframe, admiring her for a moment.

That is until Yuki walked up behind him.

"Whatever you were dreaming about in there you better not be thinking about that with Miss Honda in mind." Shigure spun around and laughed anxiously as Yuki ignored him, checked to see if Tohru was okay, then walked up the stairs to his room to tell Haru dinner was nearly ready.

Sliding back his door, Yuki instantly found himself enveloped in Haru's arms in a tight hug, "H-Haru, what-?"

"Can I just hold you for a minute?"

Yuki blinked into his room and nodded his head, as Haru rested his forehead on Yuki's shoulder. After Kane and Yuki had the left the locker room, and Momiji had somehow managed to calm him down by being generally cute and jumpy and distracting, Haru had been in a very huggable mood all evening. He was going to have to keep an eye on that Murasaki idiot. Being nice from now on or not, he'd make sure he kept his hands away from his Yuki. To be honest, it had been such a tremendous relief to know Yuki hadn't said yes to the date, Haru just wanted to hug Yuki to make sure it was real, that he was still here. He didn't want to let go, but if he didn't move back a little he wouldn't be able to show Yuki the little something he had brought home from school. So, leaning back again, smiling softly, Haru quickly glanced upwards. Taking the supposed hint, Yuki looked up to see them standing under a small branch of Mistletoe.

The blush that appeared on his cheeks spread quicker than the early morning sun rising over the desert.

Haru simply grinned childishly, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Yuki seemed to be stuck on what to do. Half of his brain was telling him to leave immediately saying that "you held out on all the mistletoe at school why should you give up now?", while the other one was practically dying at the adorable look Haru was giving him and was dreamily saying, "just let him kiss you."

Although it wasn't quite as emotional as the last part of his brain, Yuki didn't move away as Haru timidly moved forward, never taking his eyes off Yuki's, almost asking permission. When Yuki still didn't move, Haru took it as the best yes he was going to get, and pressed his lips against Yuki's.

He loved moments like this. It was like he had been born just to kiss Yuki. Every sound disappears except for the beating of his heart, the feeling of butterflies in his stomach that only Yuki could bring, the warmth of Yuki's silky lips as fingers intertwine with his own. Yuki made him feel light and happy, every moment like this he just fell more and more in love with him. It was pure paradise.

For Yuki though, whenever Haru kissed him it was always one of the most confusing moments of his life. First of all he wondered _why_ he let Haru kiss him. Then he wondered why he wondered why he let Haru kiss him. Then he wondered why he wasn't pulling away, then he wondered why he wasn't kissing back, then...oh, there was no point. Kissing Haru was simply a state of confusion, so it was better off not to do anything. Just stand there, eyes still open barely an inch away from Haru's blissfully closed ones, letting his fingers interlace with Haru's. It did feel nice, he would admit to that, in fact it felt wonderful. Haru was so gentle, he never _ever_ pressed for anything more, in his White mode anyway. He was just content to be near him, stealing the odd kiss with that silly smile on his face. But despite how nice it felt, Yuki still didn't kiss him back, and he wondered if it hurt Haru that he didn't.

_This shouldn't be happening_ he thought to himself.

_Why shouldn't this be happening?_ his brain argued back, for it was the same excuse every time.

………………_I don't know._

A short while later, Haru lip's left their safe haven and he looked at Yuki with such a loving expression it made Yuki feel guilty. He looked away, embarrassed and ashamed at the same time. He knew he was hurting Haru. He may smile all the time, but it must hurt him surely, to know that the person he loves doesn't seem to want him back. Yuki's inner child almost giggled at the thought that Haru loved him, but the state of confusion he was in overpowered that thought and he just stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do or say.

"That was cheap I know," Haru smiled warmly, taking the Mistletoe down, "But as I said…I couldn't resist." Haru's eye caught Yuki's own.

Unlike earlier, that comment almost seemed to be directed right at him, which didn't help the blush that refused to remove itself from Yuki's cheeks. It was another awkward moment as they stood in the doorway to Yuki's room just looking at each other. A small voice in the back of Yuki's mind was saying that Haru couldn't actually go anyway until he got out of the way of the door, but still his legs refused to move.

That is until there was a flash of white light and Yuki looked to see Shigure crouching round the corner on the stairs holding that damned camera to his eye, "Eheheee..." he giggled timidly, before Yuki's legs decided to move.

"SHIGURE!!!!!!!"

To Be Continued...


	12. Under A Spell

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Gia**

**Kativa-chan** - Oh yes, Kane will be back! Hehe, and Haru will not be pleased.

**C-chan** - There is a scene between Yuki and Haru that I thought of that sparked off this whole fanfic in the first place. I've been DYING to write it but its not gonna be for a while yet. When I write it though, I can guarantee every single person reading this fanfic will love it!........I hope. :)

**Kamikakushi** - Akito Akito, yes yes he will appear! lol Should be the next chapter!!

**Sorrowful Memory** - Yey! :)

**Chisato Shidou** - heheh, Shigure's a very mean little guy, and he hasn't even done his worst yet...

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**Chapter 12: Under A Spell**

Kyo was pissed off.

Every time he tried to place his chopsticks to his lips to actually eat what was there, either Shigure or Yuki would race past him at such a speed the wind force would knock the food right off the sticks. It had been like this for about half an hour and Kyo's food was pretty much cold. Opposite Kyo sat Tohru, thinking to herself that at times like this perhaps she should save up to buy a microwave so she could warm up everyone's food again once Yuki had either 1) Calmed down, or 2) Caught Shigure. Haru sat next to her calmly eating the deliciously prepared food, idly watching Shigure being chased around the house with disinterested eyes.

"GIVE ME THAT CAMERA!" Yuki's voice rattled throughout the house, as Shigure suddenly came bounding back into the living room, flying past the table (knocking Kyo's food out of his hands) and running out the paper doors.

"Now now Yuki there's no need for such aggressive behaviour young man." Shigure said, standing at the door and waving his finger trying to act parentally, holding his camera to his chest with his other hand.

Yuki flew past the table (Kyo slammed his chopsticks on the table and tried not to explode) with an arrow-straight eye dead lined for Shigure, while Shigure yelped and spun on his heal ready to run around the house for the seventh time, when,

"SHIGURE!!!!"

Running up the path behind him was Mii, looking dangerously angry as usual. Shigure quickly looked from one direction to the other. On one hand he had a furious Yuki, on the other was a furious Mii, and neither one was that appealing. Jumping out of the way, the closing enraged pair suddenly realised that their target for immense pain was no longer in their sight, and instead there was each other.

Shigure suddenly wished he hadn't moved as Yuki and Mii ran straight into one another.

_Poof!!  
_  
In a cloud of soft pink smoke, the once human shaped Yuki now stood on the wooden porch as a small grey rat.

Mii blinked once. Twice, "Err.." she began.

All of a sudden Shigure raced back inside the house, grabbed Kyo (dropping his chopsticks) and yanked him off the floor dragging him outside.

"Ah hahaha, and now for my second trick," Shigure began, as the Yuki rat ran back inside the house, "I shall turn Kyo here into an upstanding polite young man!"

"HEY!"

"How...how did you do that?" Mii asked, completely amazed as the Rat ran through the Lounge heading for the stairs, "That's very clever, where did he go?" she asked, her head turning in all directions to try and see Yuki.

Shigure winked at her, "Only the Magnificent Shigure ™ knows."

"Magnificent Shigure ™ huh?" Haru said, as Kyo started yelling once again that everyone was insane and Shigure started laughed heartily trying to cover up the exposed secret.

-----

"I AM NOT LEAVING HERE UNTIL YOU TAKE YOUR WORK SERIOUSLY!!"

Yuki winced at the high-pitched voice of Mii as she paraded around Shigure and his desk like a lion about attack its prey.

"But I take my work very seriously."

Mii stopped storming around the room and stared at him, "You're trying to sharpen a BIRO!!"

Shigure blinked and looked down to his hands, "Hmm, I wondered why that wasn't turning at easily as it should."

"YOU DON'T EVEN USE A PENCIL NOW BE QUIET AND WORK!!" Mii screamed, looming over Shigure with her hands on her hips and her eyes ablaze

"Okay okay." smiled a timid Shigure, cowering under the overlarge Mii.

Yuki ignored the two and walked up the stairs carrying an extra pillow he'd taken from the lining cupboard. Walking into his room, he placed it on top of the other pillow that made up part of Haru's makeshift bed on the floor. It was the first time since Haru had moved in that he actually slept where he was supposed to, in Yuki's room. Yuki sat at the edge of his bed staring down at Haru's little space on the floor. So much had happened and it hadn't even been a week yet. Tomorrow was Wednesday, just five more days of school then the Christmas holidays would start and he'd be with Haru in this house for three weeks straight.

Yuki couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing.

The builders for Haru's room had now taken the triangular roof off the Kitchen and had begun to lay the supports for the floor down, covering the whole thing up with plastic sheets to keep any rain out until they came back tomorrow. He wondered how long it would take to finish when Shigure walked past his room.

"Shigure?"

"Hmm?" he said, poking his head round the door.

"YOU'D BETTER BE GETTING YOUR NOTES UP THERE SHIGURE!!" came Mii's voice from downstairs.

"Of course Mii!" Shigure shouted back smiling awkwardly. He didn't however and looked back to Yuki.

"How long will it take for the builders to finish Haru's room?"

"Hmm," Shigure began, thinking, "Well, they don't get much business this time of year being so cold, so they don't have any other jobs to do but this one. It should be pretty soon."

"Oh." was Yuki's reaction.

"SHIGURE!!"

"Okay my delicate little flower, I am returning!" he said, nipping into his room to grab some papers then heading back down the stairs.

Yuki sat there staring at the space between his open door. _Oh._ Yes, it would seem he was a little disappointed that it would be finished soon.  
Suddenly something occupied his vision as Haru stepped in through the doorway, gingerly rubbing his wet hair with a towel and looking down at Yuki as their eyes met.

As if it was some kind of physic connection, Yuki simply said, "No."

Haru shrugged, "It was worth a try." He said, as he headed over to his own bed rather than climbing into Yuki's.

-----

Shigure wandered down the stairs the next morning walking towards the phone. Even though he was up until 2am with Mii still glaring over his shoulder, he needed to get up early to prepare to get stage 1 of "Operation: Shigure and Ayame's plan of making Yuki fall for Haru no matter how long it took or what kind of insane plans they would have to do to make him admit his feelings" underway, and he had to hope Ayame would remember to get his part done. Picking up the receiver, he heard one of the stairs creak so he turned around.

His jaw dropped open in shock.

6am…and Yuki was dressed and wide-awake!

After the shock had dispersed, Shigure smiled, "Yuki, why are you up so early? I didn't think you got much sleep last night." Despite the underlining hints that held being Shigure, Yuki knew for once he was really talking about the fact he and Haru had spent half the night up just talking. School, reminisced about the few fun and happy things as children, and generally chatted away into the night. It was a funny feeling really; it was the first time Yuki had ever talked just for the sake of being with someone. "I mean really you were both so loud, it's quite despicable." Shigure continued in his usual idiotic tone, tutting and shaking his head.

"I surprised Mii still isn't here." was Yuki's comment as he walked through into the Living Room, "She said she wouldn't leave until you took your work seriously, I'm surprised she hasn't moved in."

Shigure grinned before noticing Yuki holding a familiar item in his hand, his smile fading, "Err...Yuki?" he said, following Yuki as he walked into the Kitchen, "What are you doing with my camera?"

Yuki calmly walked up to the sink,"1, it isn't your camera," he turned on the hot water tap, "And 2, I'm going to destroy it."

…….

………..

"AHHH!" Shigure ran up to Yuki but Yuki quickly placed his hand out beside him on Shigure's chest keeping him away at arms length as he held the camera near the running water. "Noooo pleeeease! It's not mine, it's not mine!!!" Shigure begged as he tried to run on one spot without getting anywhere, arms out stretched in front of him, "Mii will kill me!"

"STOP taking photos then!" he glared at the Novelist, who had dropped to his knees staring with wobbly puppy-begging eyes up at Yuki.

"Okay, I promise." He said, with streams of tears down his face, trying to reach for the camera but Yuki still holding it out of reach. Yuki looked down at him frowning, before turning and switching off the tap.

"Why do you have this camera anyway?"

Shigure instantly stopped crying and suddenly looked liked a dear caught in headlights, "Errr.....research of course!"

His plain and simple answer he hoped was enough, grinning and holding out his hands expecting Yuki to give the camera back, but Yuki kept the camera well away from him and scowled down at him.

"Research for what?" Shigure kept the grin on his face but it was a very nervous one, "I haven't seen you take any pictures with this except for me and Haru. Tell me the real reason or I won't give it back."

"Er, ehehehe, the _real_ reason huh?" Shigure racked his brain to try to think of an excuse, "Well, the research I need it for was, err....AH LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"

Shigure pointed behind Yuki who glared at him even harder, "What kind of idiot falls for that any more?!!"

"WAHHH!"

Yuki turned just in time to see Kyo flying towards him, banging straight into him causing them both to fly across the kitchen and land in a cluttered heap in one corner. Shigure had caught his precious camera when it went flying out of Yuki's hand and exited the room as quickly as possible, breathing a sigh of relief that he didn't have to give away the proper reason he had borrowed this off of Mii. _Hehe, if Yuki ever found out..._ Shigure grinned to himself.

"Get off me!" both Yuki and Kyo yelled simultaneously, just as a very mad looking Black Haru stomped through the Kitchen doorway.

Whatever Kyo had done to upset Haru this morning, seeing him touching Yuki even if it was a 'get the hell away from me' shove, just seemed to provoke him even more. Storming up to him, he picked Kyo up by his collar.

"Jeez what is your problem?!" Kyo hollered, as he tried to punch his way out of Haru's tight grasp.

"You think you're good enough to go anywhere near my Yuki?"

"WHAT?!"

Haru slammed him against the wall, "You're pathetic, you make me sick you little pervert."

"I'M the pervert??!" Kyo kicked him hard sending him flying backwards, "Get over yourself H-"

He was cut short as Haru kicked him hard in the chest. Yuki by this time had safely departed the room, adjusting his school tie, leaving the evenly matched fight to destroy the Kitchen.

"You bastard! Who do you think you are huh!?"

"Shut up yo--"

"Get away from me you maniac!"

"Get up! Fight you loser!"

Shigure watched cautiously as Yuki made his way back up the stairs, listened to make sure Kyo and Haru were still fighting, and brought the phone receiver to his ear. Now was his chance to start to get this plan organised.

-----

Uo yawned and cursed silently at the phone as it rang far too early in the morning. Picking it up, "Yeah?......Why the hell are _you_ calling me this early in the morning?.........Uh huh.........You want her away? Why?.......You mean you're actually _trying_ to--.........okay okay, forget I asked. So what do you want me to do?.......Not a problem........yeah...okay sure I'll ask her today....bye."

Meanwhile at the Sohma Estate...

Kagura looked up from her drawing of an orange cat with love hearts around it with an excited look in her eye, "You mean we'd be alone for the whole weekend?" she squeaked.

"Yes," Ayame replied, holding a pamphlet in his hand and reading it, "Shigure and I will be going too, you know, to keep an eye on things," he winked teasingly, "So you can stay there if you like." Ayame smiled at her, "Do you think it's a good idea then? It's just Hatori said I should ask someone first."

Kagura stared at him with wobbly eyes before jumping up into the air, "YES I DO!! I THINK IT'S THE GREATEST IDEA EVER!!!" and there hence began to hug Ayame ridiculously tightly, "Aloone!!! All alooooone! YEY!!!"

-----

Yuki walked into his room and grabbed a few books from his desk, putting them in his rucksack. Walking over to his balcony door, he opened up the curtains to the wintry grey sky.

And the foot of fluffy white snow.

Eyes wide, Yuki opened his balcony door and stepped out into the snow, his foot sinking into it. Walking to the edge, he looked across the white treetops and into the distance. Everything was covered, only a few specks, only a few dark patches could be seen through the blanket of white that covered everything the eye could see.

Snow.

Yuki remembered a day when he had been 'released' from Akito for the day and had wandered into the courtyard in front of the main house. It was snowing then, although it wasn't quite as thick as this. He had spotted Haru playing in the front garden of Kisa's house, throwing snowballs at each other and laughing. Yuki had sat down on the stone ground in the snow, leaning against a small brick wall that held for being the courtyard flowerbed, bringing his knees to his chest as he just watched them. He didn't know how long he had sat there, but even when he realised he was freezing cold, he didn't move. He just sat there and watched the fun these two people were having, off in the distance, as he sat there alone and cold. He wanted to go and join them, but why would they want his company? Akito said that no one would want to be around a freak like him right? He closed his eyes and stayed there, feeling nothing but cold and numbness.

Suddenly, he had found himself engulfed in warmth. Opening his eyes, he found Haru kneeling on the ground in front of him hugging him closely. No words were said, and Yuki didn't move, he just buried his head under Haru's chin and closed his eyes again.

Yuki opened his eyes from his memory and looked back out over the expanse of white scenery. Haru truly had always been there, he never had to say anything, but even back then when they hadn't known each other for that long, Haru was still always there just when Yuki felt at his lowest.

A small grateful smile found it' way to his lips as he turned to go back inside his room.

-----

Shigure sat down for breakfast trying as much as possible to look as though he wasn't planning anything at all. Sipping at a glass of orange juice, he could just imagine the look on Yuki's face when he told him. Or maybe it would be Haru's face that would be even funnier? He moved his head to one side as a china plate came flying out the kitchen and zooming past his head, various shouts and abusive words still coming from the Kitchen.

Oh yes, Shigure just couldn't wait for the weekend to come.

-----

After Kyo and Haru had finally finished destroying the Kitchen, and had both apologised to Tohru and began clearing up the mess despite her protests, the young members of the Shigure household were finally ready to go to school. As Kyo stepped outside the front door however, he yelped in surprise to see two of the girls chasing him yesterday standing outside in the snow.

"Wha—what are you two doing here?" he stuttered, daring to move another step.

One of the girls put her hands on her hips and glared at him, "Just because Aiani got to kiss you yesterday doesn't mean you're left off the hook!

"Yeah!" piped the other one, joining her friend in the menacing look pose, "We both saw you standing under the Mistletoe and want our kiss too!"

Shigure then crept up behind Kyo, "Kyo, why are you standing in the middle of the doorway?" and at seeing the schoolgirls, immediately rushed to their side, "Hello there! I'm Shigure Sohma, famous Novelist, I except you all know me." He smiled flirtatiously, as the two girls blushed awkwardly at another good-looking Sohma.

"You're starting to sound like Ayame," said Haru, walking past Kyo who gave him a very evil glare while the girls blushed again at another good-looking Sohma.

"Never ever mention that name in my presence." Yuki joined in, pulling his rucksack on his shoulders and also walking past an evilly glaring Kyo, which quickly turned into a smirk.

"'In my presence?'" Kyo snickered, before he went flying backwards inside the house, and Shigure realised that both the girls he was standing next to had fainted with the overwhelming beauty so early in the morning.

-----

The group trudged through the snow past the school gates, Kyo making sure Tohru was in between him and the rest of the strange people he had to call a family. With any luck, today should be a pretty normal day, and with the way Yuki figured, it couldn't really get any worse anyway. As they closed nearer the school main entrance however, there was a certain someone standing there in the snow, obviously waiting for a certain someone else, holding a very large bouquet of red roses. Today's choice was a red bandanna, and Kane's golden eyes finally found his target.

"Yuki!" he called out, waving over at him and grinning. Yuki stopped dead in his tracks as Kane ran over to him, a cold feeling of dread as he quickly glanced at Haru, "I got these for you." Kane said, handing Yuki the roses and smiling sweetly.

"Err.." Yuki said awkwardly, not wanting to offend Kane but at the same time not wanting to take them for fear that Haru would snap into Black, "Errr... I, I thought you said you weren't going to..."

Kane giggled lightly, "I never said I wasn't going to give up on you did I?"

Yuki smiled uneasily and took the roses, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE HUH?"

And before he could blink Kane found himself tackled to the frozen ground by a Black Haru, Yuki standing there watching them fight over him, still holding Kane's roses.

"Oh they're beautiful!" said Tohru, fussing over the soft petals and smelling the deep aroma, while Yuki's gardening side mentally wondered how Kane obtained Roses this time of year.

One by one people gathered around, and Yuki knew it wouldn't be long before the teachers came out to break the two up. To be honest, Yuki had had enough of teachers for a while and didn't particularly want to end up explaining they were fighting over him, so did the one thing he could think of to stop the brawling pair. Giving the roses to Tohru saying she could keep them, Yuki walked up behind Haru who had now pinned Kane against the wall. This was one fight Kane, or probably anyone, couldn't win against Haru when he was like this, so Yuki simply walked up to Haru and wrapped his arms around his waist.

The fury in Haru's eyes changed so fast it was as if he had been under a spell.

Yuki didn't say a word, just stood there pressed up against his back, trying to ignore the whispers and comments that were beginning to emerge from the crowd around them. Haru slowly let go of Kane, who was in mild terror of Haru's sudden strength and mild horror at 'his' Yuki's sudden closeness to Haru.

"Yuki...?" said a momentarily White Haru, before his 'second type' of Black emerged and he spun around and grabbed Yuki into a very tight hug, "heheh, I knew you wanted me," he growled in his ear, while Yuki's eyes flew wide suddenly regretting his supposed plan.

Kyo watched completely dumbfounded at the kind of scenes he had to put up with since Haru had moved in, so grabbed Tohru's wrist and dragged her inside the school, ignoring Haru's almost insane disturbingly sappy cries of, "Yuki loves me!", followed quickly by a more lustful voice of, "I knew you loved me." Then a more embarrassed and terrified Yuki voice of, "Get off me!" followed by a whining trying-to-act-tough Kane voice of, "Let go of my Yuki!"

Kyo wondered how long this was gonna last, and for once almost wished Kagura was here! At least it would feel slightly more normal, just as Kane's voice rang out again,

"Yuki's mine get off him!"

"Don't touch him!"

"You're insane!"

"You're gay!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THEN?!?"

To Be Continued...


	13. The Fact He Was Right

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Kativa-chan** – Akito has arrived!!!!! (cheers!) (or 'oh no's in some cases)

**Sorrowful Memory** – Glad ya like! :)

**anon**- hehe, thank you!

**NeuroticSquirrel** – lol I actually spell it 'Yey', so I have no idea really.

**Kamikakushi**– Oooo, I hope he's evil enough for you then…

**Gia** – I actually added those last few argument lines at the last minute. I was just gonna leave it at Kyo dragging Tohru away, but then I thought "What the hell" so put them in for fun. And it's funny, those lines are what most people pointed out in my reviews saying they liked hehe. I guess spontaneous things can be good. :)

**C-chan** – lol, well, as I said in my email to you, Admire? (goes all embarrassed and hides behind Yuki and Haru dolls so generously donated) THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH! Made me grin!

**AyaHanabashi** – I just got the second Fruits Basket Manga and at the back it says if you are born in the sign of the rat (which I am, lucky me!!! :)) then you turn out to be a good writer. Well, here's hoping! And hey I never knew Momiji was half German!!!!

**BooksOfMagic** – Just got your review as I was about to post this, so thank you!!! :) (and thank you for being my 100th reviewer!!!)

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**AN:** WAHOO! So close to beating my record for number of reviews for one fanfic. My record's 118 for my X Men Evolution fic 'Apocalypse Journal: Project Demoniciduth'. Can you guys help me beat that record? (smiles sweetly and flutters eyelids)

**AAN:** Oooo, unlucky chapter 13, and not that I mention it in the fic, but for interest's sake, the date today in this fic is Thursday 13th December.

**-----**

**Chapter 13: The Fact He Was Right**

Dark grey eyes watched the small bird hopping across the frozen water, pecking at random points trying to get to the denied water underneath. Although his eyes shone with serenity, his mind was in fury. He had been like this since yesterday,

When he had found that photo.

A calm rage emitted from his room like a spiritual warning sign not to go near him. He sat there and brewed, alone in the dark, images flittering through his mind of what may have been happening, and what he wanted to do to the person who caused all this. He couldn't stand it any longer; he was going to have to make himself clear once again. Heaving himself up from the floor against the wall, pulling the cloth back over his shoulders that had slipped down, Akito made his way towards the door.

-----

"Lunch time! Rich man Poor man!" exclaimed Tohru cheerfully, as Uo sat and cracked her knuckles glaring challenging at Kyo, "Okay," she said, placing the cards on the desk next to Hana, "Anyone else want to play? Yuki?"

Yuki looked up from the book he was studying and smiled, "Of course Miss Honda." And placing his book away, joined them at Uo's desk.

A pair of eyes watched him walk across the room to join the happy (or glaring) group of students. Kane looked away from them, staying in his corner of the classroom at his desk. He wanted to ask if he could play too, but the usual nervousness kept his question down. So instead he went back to doodling on his notebook, drawing little hearts around all the 'Yuki' words he had written.

That is until a certain rival walked through the door.

"Haru!" Tohru smiled, "Just in time, do you want to pay Rich man Poor man?"

"Sure." He said, walking over and pulling a chair next to Yuki.

Feeling a sudden burst of confidence, Kane leapt up off his chair, "Hey can I play too?" he exclaimed.

The group looked towards the boy who was the usual one to ignore in their class, "Wow, it speaks." Uo said, shock still evident on her face.

Even though he had only just joined in himself, Haru was about to say 'Go to hell' when Yuki spoke up, "If you'd like, you can join in."

"Oh great," Kyo moaned quietly, as Kane grinned once again.

Yuki smiled back as Kane sat down opposite him (he couldn't get any closer for fear of Haru's glares). Despite whatever Haru may have been thinking letting him join in, Yuki was glad Kane had asked. He was trying a little harder to become friends with people, so he wasn't going to turn him down when he himself was the one who had given the advice. And what better way than to play a nice healthy game of cards?

-----

"CHEATER!"

"I wouldn't call me that if I were you."

Somewhere along the line however, it had become a tournament between Kane and Haru. The daring glares that passed between the two of them were making the tension in the room high, neither one was backing down, and the small crowd that had formed around them didn't seem to care what cards the other players got except for these two.

"That's a pathetic hand." Haru calmly stated matter-of-factly, as Kane resisted the urge to kick him under the table. Not because of self control however, because he was afraid Haru would beat him up.

"I'd like to see you do better." He returned smirking, proud of the two cards he had placed, the Jack of Hearts and the Jack of Clubs, which was gonna be hard to beat.

They waited for Hana to move but she passed, playing along to Kyo who also passed. Yuki however placed down the King of Spades and the King of Hearts, declaring Shibari 1 on the Hearts. Kane felt very proud of himself now. There was no way Haru could not only beat that score, but also have at least one card in Hearts aswel. But his satisfied smirk soon disappeared from his face when he saw the smug look on Haru's.

"You loose Kane." He said, as he placed down his two cards, The Ace of Hearts and a Joker.

"Hey, good hand," Uo commented, as Kane face-faltered at Haru's good luck as everyone else laughed at him.

"That's not fair you must have cheated!" Kane said, slamming his hands down on the desk and standing up.

"Didn't I warn you not to call me a cheater?" Haru glowered at him, before Kane's eye became wide and he swallowed, remembering that angry stare from this morning.

"Hey don't be such a sore loser Murasaki." chuckled one student, pulling on the end of Kane's headscarf.

"Cut it out!"

While the other students picked on Kane, Haru turned to Yuki sitting next to him, "So, do I get a contractually kiss?"

"..No."

Haru smirked to himself, "You hesitated."

Yuki blinked in realisation, "No I didn't." he quickly covered.

"Yes you did."

"Shut up."

Getting up from his seat without another word, Yuki left his cards on the table and walked out the room, knowing very well that Haru was smiling at him the whole way.

-----

As Yuki walked outside the main doors to get a breath of fresh air, he wondered yet again about Haru. It was the easiest thing to do, just leave when things got awkward like that, at least nothing outside could be any worse.

"Hello Yuki."

Yuki froze.

There in front of him, walking slowly towards him was Akito, smiling that sickly sweet smile that Yuki knew was anything but kind. He found himself unable to move from the trampled snow pathway he was standing on, as Akito walked right up to him.

He laughed feebly, "You don't have to look like that Yuki. There's nothing to worry about." That sentence just made Yuki worry even more, and when Akito reached out him, he took a step back, his face showing a definite fear. The drained smile that was on Akito's face disappeared at Yuki response, and he let his arm fall back down to his side.

"It's not you I am here to see today Yuki."

Yuki's eyes widened slightly, _well who?…_before he realised, it could only be;

"Where is Hatsuharu?"

Yuki wavered; he could feel his heart rate beating fast. Why on Earth does Akito want to see Haru? He couldn't have…

Then it hit him!

_Didn't Shigure and Ayame go to the main house at the weekend? And Momiji had called that night asking for them, it must have been that day when Ayame had developed all those photos. But if Momiji knew about the photo, than one of them must have shown him, perhaps even left one there. Akito, he must have…_

Yuki's eyes shone with alertness and his heartbeat quickened even more with terror. Akito must think he and Haru are together, and that is something he most definitely would not like.

"I…" he began, but found his throat closing up, "I…don't know. I haven't seen him today."

Akito looked at him with lowered eyelids for a moment before walking past him towards the door. As he past though, he left with a simple sentence, "If I find you're lying to me Yuki, I will be most displeased."

A shiver ran down Yuki's spine, and it wasn't because of the cold. He stood there, trying to calm his breathing once Akito had walked inside the school. This was not good. He had to find Haru, or who knows what Akito had planned. Suddenly finding his muscles could move again, Yuki ran around the school to another entrance.

He had to get to Haru first.

-----

Tohru walked towards the lunch hall with Uo and Hana as usual, when Momiji suddenly walked out if his classroom door looking very lost and worried.

"Momiji?" Tohru asked, concerned at the lack of happiness surrounding the younger boy.

"Tohru?" he asked quietly after a short pause, "Have you seen one of the pictures of Yuki and Haru that's been hole punched on one side?"

"Ermm, no, I don't think so. They were all taken down weren't they?" she said.

"Yeah," Momiji said awkwardly, "Well, this one wasn't put up anywhere, it was in my folder. I was going to tease Haru with it in class, but I couldn't find it last night."

Tohru smiled before Uo kicked in, "Ah I shouldn't worry about it, just ask any girl around and you'll probably find they've still got a copy."

Momiji looked very awkward at this point before looking back up at Tohru, "Tohru, could I say something…somewhere else?"

He truly did look worried which made Tohru panic inside. She turned to her two friends, "You head for lunch, I'll catch up with you in a bit. Is that okay?"

"Sure thing, oh which reminds me, I've got something to ask you later."

"Okay."

As the two left, Momiji led Tohru down the corridor where it was quieter before turning to her. "Tohru, I think I lost it at the main house." She knew he was thinking of Akito, which made her panic even more, "It's the only place I could think of where it was cos I went to see Ha'ri last night with my homework and it's not in with it this morning. I've just called Ha'ri and he says there is nothing there, but Akito was going out today. Ha'ri said he hadn't been too ill lately so he let him go, but what if it's him who found it? What if he's coming here!?"

Normally a situation like this would cause her to panic like crazy, which it had been up the point she had suddenly thought of Yuki. The look on his face that last time Akito had come to the school, she didn't want to see that look again. What if Akito did come here? What if it had been him to find that photo? She didn't know what to do; she didn't know how to help!

Well, if Akito was coming here, she'd make sure she was with Yuki if he did. "Oh, don't worry Momiji." She tried to reassure, sounding all too unconvincing, "I'm sure it'll turn up, you probably just misplaced it in your room and didn't realise it or something."

Momiji looked as skeptical as she sounded.

-----

"Where's Haru?!" Yuki demanded as he raced into his classroom where they had been playing cards.

"I don't know," said one girl, "He only left a little while ago though."

-----

"Where's Yuki?" Tohru asked panicking, running back into her classroom.

The same girl who had answered before, who now sat watching as two other students continued to pick on Kane, one boy with kinder eyes trying to get them to stop, looked up at her, "Err, he's looking for Hatsuharu. He only left a little while ago though."

-----

"Have you seen Haru?" Yuki was beginning to loose his calm composure again, as he sped into Haru's classroom to find himself talking to an empty room. Perhaps he was in the lunch hall now?

-----

"Have you seen Yuki?" Tohru asked the empty chairs in Haru's classroom. Finding no answer, she walked out the room looking just as lost as Momiji did. Maybe he was in the boys locker room? If she just shouted inside to see if he answered, that would be okay. Making her way there, she spotted the door down the empty corridor.

And Akito walking through it.

-----

Most people by now had head off to the lunch hall so the boy's locker room was empty. It was the perfect place Haru found himself simply grinning as he put some books away in his locker. Yuki was so _cute_! And that Murasaki idiot wouldn't stand a chance, not with him around! Closing his locker, he walked down one end of the lockers and turned the corner towards the door to find,

Haru dropped the bag he was holding, "Akito," he whispered, before he stared with a venomous glare in his eye, his voice lowering, "What are you doing here?"

"I would have thought that was obvious." Akito said icily, taking another step towards Haru. But Haru stood his ground, glaring into Akito's dark eyes with clenched fists, "I know precisely what you are planning to do Hatsuharu." Akito said plainly, stopping a few feet away from him. His usually void of emotion face frowned in a light annoyance, "You are trying to take my Yuki away from me….I don't like that."

Every Sohma would know that look, and every Sohma at this point would know to stop whatever side of their argument was and back down, letting Akito have his way. But this was something Haru would not back down on; he knew the _real_ reason Akito was confronting him and not Yuki.

"There is nothing you can do to stop me from being with Yuki." Haru said sternly, a voice no one would ever dare use against Akito.

Akito smiled sinisterly, "Isn't there? I don't think you'd want anything happening to your mother would you?" Haru's eyes widened in a slight fear, but it quickly disappeared, "You wouldn't want her ending up like your father did, would you?"

"You can't threaten me against my mother." Haru quickly answered, "She's not related to you by blood, she only carries the marital name." Haru eyes narrowed, "You can't do anything me, you can't do anything to non-blood Sohmas."

Akito's expression darkened and he clenched his teeth, for despite the power he held over the Zodiacs, it was true he could not do anything, 'illegal', to ones outside. True he could manipulated the Zodiac Sohmas, like he had down with Hatori, but Haru would not take it. He forced a small dark smile to his lips,

"Hm, not that she would know why."

And on that, he turned to leave the room, but the rage inside Haru was starting to build. His whole life, the thought of turning Black against Akito was something unheard of…until 'that' time. But still, Akito had done something to him that Haru would never forgive, and if he was trying to take Yuki away with threats to his own mother, then sure as hell turning Black again was starting to feel like a good idea.

So he did.

"You bastard. I couldn't give a SHIT what you say Akito!!"

Akito's eyes widened in shock and disgust at the lack of respect the younger Zodiac had shown, and he turned around to face him.

The look on Haru's face was one of absolute fury, "You can't do anything to convince me, and you will _not_ have Yuki, not EVER!" He stormed up to the still calm Akito and grabbed his collar, piercing eyes showing hell within them, "You stay the hell away from him! I won't let you hurt him anymore, I won't let you get anywhere near him! I'll stay with him forever to keep him away from you! I swear to God if you try anything with Yuki, if you try to take him away from me…I'll KILL YOU!!"

Being as Black as he could get away with, Haru harshly let Akito go and stormed out the room, flinging the swinging door back so harshly it banged into the wall causing an echo down the hallway.

Akito stayed standing where he was, eyes closed, trying to calm the rage within him. Slowly he turned his head to the slightly still swinging door, his face once again void of emotion, and his eyes dull. He slowly raised his right hand to touch the crumpled cotton collar where Haru had grabbed him. For a moment, he clenched his teeth, his left hand clasped at his side. Turning towards the door, he walked outside, intent on heading back home before the corridors got crowded again.

As much as he was furious at Haru's behaviour, it wasn't that that bothered him.

It was the fact he was right.

To Be Continued…

1 – To find out how to play Richman Poorman, visit the tokyopop website, search for Fruits Basket and click on 'feature' on the first Manga. I tried to link it but for some reason it wouldn't let me upload it.


	14. First Time For Everything

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Gia** – Yeah, Akito is actually really awkward to write without repeating the same descriptions over and over again. I hope he's not too bad in this chapter, please tell me if it sounds repetitive at all!

**NeuroticSquirrel**

**Sorrowful Memory**

**SpringSnow** – hehe, I hope so, I'm rather proud of this fanfic as it was not only my first Fruits Basket one but my first yaoi/shoen-ai as well. Well, sort of anyway, I did a one shot Yami No Matsuei one, and yes they do kiss, but it still felt more, friendshippy, than romantic.

**Chisato**** Shidou** – hehe, thank you! And I'm afraid you won't find out what Shigure and Aya are planning until the evening on Friday in this fanfic. ;)

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**Chapter 14: First Time For Everything**

This was ridiculous! Where the hell had Haru disappeared too? Yuki continued to search around looking for Haru, and seeing neither him nor Akito. Having one last place to try, Yuki walked towards the locker rooms. There he saw Tohru walking towards him, looking at the ground with a worried expression, not seeing Yuki was there.

"Miss Honda!" Yuki cried as she nearly walked into him.

"Ohh, Yuki!" she said startled, her head snapping back up from looking at the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as she seemed to stand there dazed.

"Hmm? Oh yes, I'm fine." She smiled, waving her hands in front of her to try to prove she was okay and not in the slightest bit worried about what she had just witnessed.

"Okay," Yuki said, not too convinced though, "Have you seen Haru?"

Tohru flinched slightly at that but quickly smiled again, "Oh, I think Haru wasn't feeling too well so he went home." _I can't tell Yuki Akito was here, no matter happened with Haru. I don't want to cause Yuki any trouble or worry._

"Went home?" Yuki wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. If he truly wasn't feeling well, then the good point would be at least he wouldn't see Akito, but what if he was lying? What if he had only said he wasn't feeling well because he had already seen Akito and something….something had happened? "I hope he's alright." he said, trying to not sound too worried, "Are you heading for lunch Miss Honda?"

"Oh, err, yes I am."

"May I join you?"

Tohru grinned, _Good__, he didn't catch on_, "Sure."

There was nothing he could do for now, he'd just have to make sure to get home quickly after school.

-----

Saying Akito was slightly annoyed was putting it incredibly mildly. Saying Akito was angry was getting a little closer, but not quite enough. Saying Akito felt like pulling Hatori's windpipe out and using it to beat him to near death was a lot more like it. And why Hatori you ask? Because he happened to be in Akito's line of sight at the time as he walked towards him through the courtyard of the Estate. He watched the doctor as he stood waiting by the entrance to the main house, and the anger began to bubble again. His pace quickened as he walked towards the older man, intent on doing…doing something, to make him feel better.

Hatori watched his walk turn into more of a march, and suddenly realised what was going to happen, "Akito, I don't think you should be—"

SPLAT!

Akito suddenly found himself flat on his back as he slipped on some hidden ice.

-----

Haru walked into Shigure's house, since calmed down and now feeling a little depressed.

"Haru?!" Shigure exclaimed sticking his head round the corner of his office, startled to see the young boy in the middle of a school day.

"Akito came to school." Haru said flatly, taking his snow-soaked shoes off by the door and walking into Shigure's office.

Shigure's usual smiling face had fallen and he watched as Haru sat down on the floor leaning against one of the many bookcases. Neither of them said anything for a moment before Shigure decided he'd better get the conversation going.

"What did he say?"

Haru picked behind him at a book and tossed open the pages, mindlessly flicking through with no interest whatsoever. "What do you think he said? He said I should stay away from Yuki."

"Did he say anything about…your parents?"

"Yeah, and I told him straight off that he can't use her against me."

Shigure frowned forlornly, "You didn't turn Black on him again did you?"

Haru looked to the floor with saddened eyes, "Yeah. But not as bad as last time. It was because of that I tried not to go Black." Haru put the book back in its place and stared at his hands, "I'll never forgive Akito for doing that." He sighed, "And I'll never forgive myself either."

Shigure's face was somber and serious, "I told you before Haru, don't even think about blaming yourself for what happened, there was no way you could have known Akito was holding something like that."

Haru leant his head back against the bookcase and looked up at the ceiling, "I guess."

Shigure watched him for a moment. Tomorrow would be a week since Haru moved in with them, and today, today was a week since….

"Are you going to be alright today Haru?"

Haru looked at a small crack in the ceiling and sighed softly, "Yeah," he replied, a small sad smile finding his lips, "I'll be alright as long as Yuki's around."

Shigure smiled at that, after all, that was the reason he had suggested Haru moved in with him. The guy was automatically happy with Yuki, no matter what problems he may have had, Yuki certainly made him smile.

Yet Shigure's smile faded and he asked one more question, "Are you going to tell Yuki? It's not good to keep something like this bottled up inside you know."

Haru truly smiled at that, "Mmm, I probably will eventually," before it turned into a soppy grin, "once I manage to convince him I'm the only one he wants!"

Shigure smiled kindly. Yep, if Yuki was around, Haru would be happy. But how long would he stay happy with Yuki not responding to any of Haru's obvious advances? Even though at the back of Shigure's mind there was a voice saying it was all his fault for interrupting them all the time, but still—

"ATCHOOO!"

Shigure was knocked out of his reverie when Haru sneezed violently. It was only then Shigure noticed that his clothes were damp. Shigure raised an eyebrow in question, "Haru, you didn't get lost on the way back from school did you?"

Haru looked up at him from the floor "Well, everything looks really different covered in snow." He said, as though it was the most obvious explanation in the world.

Shigure fell off his chair.

"Ahhh," Shigure sighed, rubbing his head and clambering back on his chair, "What are we gonna do with you?" he asked, before Haru sneezed again.

-----

"Yuki…YUKI!"

Yuki snapped his head up from staring outside the window and faced a rather peeved looking teacher. "The fourteenth chapter please?" the teacher persisted, looking down at Yuki's text book on his desk, "The third paragraph."

"Oh, I apologise."

As Yuki read the sentence required, Tohru watched him thoughtfully. He was such a calm person to look at. You could just watch him in a sort of daze, his large bright eyes skimming over the text on the page. He had such a collected composure, even though he had just been caught daydreaming. Tohru wondered if he did suspect something or not. She had hid behind the door of another room and had heard every word that had conspired between Haru and Akito. What was Akito talking about? What is Haru hiding from them all? Tohru bit her lower lip, beginning to panic again. Ohh, now she wanted to go home to see if Haru was alright!

"Tohru Honda!"

"Whahaa yes?!" she panicked, rocketing up from her chair.

The teacher blinked surprised at her movement, "Err, could you read the next part please?"

"Huh?" Tohru looked down at her textbook and then at Yuki, who too was looking at her stunned, "Ah! Yes, sorry." She quickly said, sitting back down.

"What is with these kids?" the teacher mumbled to himself, as Tohru read as though she was about to have a panic attack and Yuki returned to staring outside his window.

-----

Akito sat in the shadows of his room, watching the darkened snowflakes float gently to the ground in the dim evening light. He had lost all reason to think now, he just sat and watched, as he did most every night, and listened to the silence that filled the small space he spent most of his time in. But the usual silence was interrupted by a knock on his door.

"What do you want?" was his usual response.

The door slid open and Shigure stood on the other side.

-----

Ok, the clock was _definitely_ running backwards. Yuki sat practically on the edge of his seat waiting for the clock to tick its way over to 4pm. It had been stuck on 3.59 for what seemed like the whole afternoon. For both Yuki and Tohru it had been liked this, and while the other students were lazing about in a bored stupor, Yuki and Tohru were wide awake for all the wrong and unwanted reasons. Yuki's rucksack was all ready and waiting to go home, so as soon as that bell rang he would be out of here as fast as he possibly could.

Finally that delightful sound rang through the building and Yuki grabbed his bag, flying past the rest of the desks and out the door, ignoring the teacher waving the students book at him for what homework to be set. Tohru attempted to do the same, although on grabbing her bag it got caught on the back of her chair, causing her to yank backwards and falling into the unsuspecting lap of Kane.

WHACK!!

"Heeeeeey!" Kane whined, rubbing his head, "What was that for?" he asked, as he glanced up at Uo cracking her knuckles at him.

"You get away from her."

"SHE FELL ON ME!!"

WHACK!!

"Come on Tohru." Uo said grabbing her arm, walking out the door.

"Oh, but Uo I….."

No, she couldn't tell her what she was worried about. Besides, Yuki is on his way home, so Haru would be alright.

Kane held his head tightly now, "Aw man, what's the point in trying to be nicer to people when all they do is hit you?"

"Arisa is not the best to first try on."

"Wah!" Kane jumped out of his chair in shock at Hana standing behind him. Hana slowly looked across at him and stared at him, her eyes wide and unemotional as always, "Err…" Kane began, as she still did nothing but stare.

"Have a pleasant evening Kane Murasaki."

As she walked out of the door off to find Tohru and Uo, Kane stood and watched her go before shivering. "Hmph. If someone like that can make friends I must be doing something _really_ wrong."

-----

Akito's eye narrowed as Shigure knelt down in his usual spot whenever he wanted to talk to him. "Let me guess," Akito said quietly, "The Ox had come running back to you spilling all the details. Hmm, they all seem to run to you don't they?"

Shigure eyed him seriously. He wouldn't let Akito play his little retort games with him, "No. He didn't tell me much; just enough to know what was threatened against him."

Akito gritted his teeth, furious at himself that he couldn't do anything to stop what was happening. It was the first time in his existence that he couldn't stop something from not going his way, and he hated it.

-----

Running on ice and snow was not a good idea, but right now Yuki's own safety was not even a concern. If Akito had followed Haru home, if Akito was there……… Yuki began to run faster. He didn't know what he'd do if he was there, and he knew Shigure would be there, but still…

…_please, please Akito don't be there!!_

-----

"I am not here to say anything against you Akito." Shigure continued softly, "I just think it would be easier on yourself if you just let this happen. If you allow—"

"NO! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" Akito raged, hitting the wall he was leaning against with the side of his fist.

Shigure took a deep breath to remain calm, "Why not?" he asked, "Why do you insist on keeping this hold on Yuki?" Akito gritted his teeth as he glared out the window, "You have already let him live outside the Estate, it would ease your own suffering if you would let him go completely."

-----

Yuki ran round the corner of a tree, slipping slightly but not letting himself fall. He could see the house now through the trees. The closer he got however, the more his heart began to race. _Akito_, Akito could be just inside.

-----

Akito slipped down the wall and sat back down on the floor, his face loosing some of the pent up rage that had been building.

"Wouldn't it be easier for yourself if you just let the two of them do as they wish? If you keep on trying to control them when they are obviously not going to comply, it will only cause you more strain."

Akito felt drained. He had been angry a lot today, so now just sat staring at the wall as Shigure continued to try to convince him. Shigure could see how quiet and relaxed Akito and suddenly become. Perhaps this was working? He pondered whether or not he should say what he was thinking, and decided that at this point, there wasn't much more that could go wrong anyway.

"Let Haru love Yuki." He watched carefully for any reaction, but saw none, "Let him forget what happened here."

-----

Seeing no one on the lower floor of the house, Yuki sprinted up the stairs and flew open his bedroom door.

There, fast asleep in his bed, was Haru.

There was an extra blanket wrapped around him, and a slight rosy hue to his cheeks. Yuki slowly put the back of his hand on Haru's forehead, and even though it wasn't good that he had a fever, Yuki smiled. Sitting down at the edge of the bed, Yuki felt so relieved Akito wasn't here. He guessed Haru truly had been ill when he went home. Yuki scoffed at himself for being so paranoid. And besides, why should he feel so worried if Haru would have had to go back to the main house if Akito had ordered it anyway? He had never lived with him before after all.

Yuki frowned questionably at his own thought. Come to think of it, why _was_ he afraid to loose Haru now?

-----

As the murky outside finally turned to night, Akito stared at the stars from the floor. Shigure had left half an hour ago, and Akito hadn't moved from that spot. Why did he say it? Why did he let the one thing he had wanted to keep close to him go? Was it guilt? Is that why? After what he had done to Haru did he feel indebted to let him do as he wanted? But that can't be it; Akito never has emotions like that. Akito was the head of the household! People do as he commands, no matter what may have happened!

Yet…still…something was bothering him.

Akito looked down to the pocketknife he held in his hand. It was a mistake, what he did that one week ago, but this was the first time he had ever, _ever_ felt guilty.

-----

Shigure walked home quietly through the still snow covered streets, silently smiling to himself. _Well_, he thought, _There's__ a first time for everything._

To Be Continued…


	15. Time To Cook

Thanks to my reviewers!!

**Gia** – Oh wow, this plot line in general has developed waaaaaaaaaaay over what it was originally going to be. This 'thing' that has happened between Haru and Akito was going to be in it, but the actual reasoning behind it was not going to be as dramatic as this will eventually turn out to be hehe. Not gonna tell ya what tho! ;)-

**Sorrowful Memory** – Thank you! :)

**Kativa-chan** - lol Well I can at least tell you that. No Akito did not stab Haru.

**Diao**** Xiang** – An account! Welcome! (holds up banners and party poppers and plastic spoons. Don't ask about the plastic spoons. It's quite scary. The plastic spoons that is. Evil plastic spoons) (shivers)

**neuroticsquirrel** - And more will come! :)

**Kalong-chan** – lol YEY! A first fanfic reader, I am honoured! And yes, our poor little sick Haru will be cared for by our gorgeous perfect Yuki…well…kind of…Yuki's never looked after anyone before….;) hehe, cuteness alert in this chapter and the next!

**Kamikakushi** – LOL Odd huh? Thanks, I think. Well, don't worry, I know Akito was a little out of character with the whole letting-go-of-yuki-so-easily thing, but trust me, there is a reason ;) So stick with it and all will be told! Hehe!

**SpringSnow** – lol Why thank you! (hugs back) Much fluff in this chapter for you. And a little perverted Shigure. Not that has anything to do with your review, but anyway. :)

**------**

**Chapter 15: Time To Cook!**

Yuki walked over to the balcony and pulled the curtains across the window, leaving his bedroom door open so only the light from the hallway filtered across his bed where Haru currently slept. _Hmm,_ Yuki pondered, _Shigure must have been here when Haru came home, I wonder where he went?_

_-----_

Walking home, Shigure suddenly realised something he forgot to do at the Estate. Stopping at a nearby pay phone, he dialed the number for Hatori. After three rings, the usual monotonous voice was heard at the other end.

"Hari'…………yes, I saw him……well, I don't know if Haru will ask or not but, still, how is she?……………………uh huh…well that's good." Shigure smiled, but it was one tinted with sorrow, "……………Haru? Well, a lot better than I thought he'd be………haha, well you know him, as long as Yuki's there……………Yes, so do I. Which reminds me, Aya and I we— actually on second thought, forget I said that………Awwww your mean!! Why do you always suspect I'm up to something?………hmph, and I call you one of my best friends. Dear dear is this what the world has come to? My I must sa—HEY!—Don't hang up on me…"

-----

Feeling Haru's forehead on the back of his hand once again, Yuki frowned; he was even hotter than he was just now. Walking back down the stairs and grabbing a small cloth, he let it hang under some cold running water before ringing it out. Walking back towards the stairs and placing one foot on the first step, the front doors suddenly slid open and a worn out Tohru stood leaning against the door frame,

"Yu…ki" she puffed, "Is…Is Hatsuharu okay?" she asked, concern evident on her face.

Yuki smiled, she certainly never changes, "He has a slight fever," he replied, "He's sleeping at the moment."

"Oh good!" she sighed in relief, before quickly covering her mouth with her hand, "No, no no I mean, it's not good that he has a fever or anything, I mean it's really bad that's he's not feeling too well, what I mean is, I mean it's good that he didn't run intoOoOoOOoOOOOoooo" Tohru started to fluttered about as she realised what she was about to say about Akito.

Yuki stared at her quite usual behaviour, "Intooo…into what?"

"Huh?" Tohru stopped waving her arms about and stared at him, "Oh! Into…err, into a wall of course!"

Yuki blinked.

"Yeah, a wall, I mean if he wasn't feeling very well to begin with running into a wall wouldn't have been good at all." She giggled purposely.

Well that was random, even for Tohru. Still, Yuki smiled, "No, I don't expect that would have been very nice."

Giving a mental sigh of relief, Tohru noticed the cloth he was holding, "Oh, are you bringing that up for Haru?"

"Yes."

"I know! I'll go make some soup and tea for him when he wakes up."

"That would be nice." Yuki smiled once more, before Tohru ran off into the kitchen.

Turning back to the stairs, Yuki took another step up before the front door slid open again and he turned around.

"Alright! What the HELL is going on?!"

Yuki glared down at Kyo who glared back equal as hard, "What are you talking about you stupid cat?"

"Well, first you get all heft up about something and go running back here like your life depended on it," he started, arms crossing his chest, "then Tohru gets all fluttery trying to get away from that Yankee after school and trying to get home, and now to finish it off I've just seen Shigure walk into a pole!"

"Oh you saw that did you?"

"WAH!!"

Kyo leapt forward and spun around as Shigure stood leaning over what would have been Kyo's shoulder if he hadn't leapt away like a frightened Kitty.

WHACK!!

"Opps, did I say that out loud?" Shigure chuckled, rubbing the sore spot on his head where Kyo and hit him.

"Walked into a pole?" Yuki asked.

"Oh yes," Shigure said, waving his hand up down like it didn't matter at all, "I just had some things on my mind that's all."

"Yeah, girls more like it." Kyo muttered, "So much you can't even see where you're walking. You pervert."

"Now now Kyo, there's no need to think so low of me you know." Shigure mock scowled, "As every Sohma should know, any relationship for us cursed ones is a little like a game of Bridge."

Kyo stared at him, "….how's that?"

"Well, "Shigure grinned, a little too perversely for anyone's liking, "If you haven't got a good partner you need a damn good hand."

"……………ARGH!"

"Shigure do you have any sense of moral fiber at all?" Yuki asked, trying as hard as possible not to punch him into his next book, as Kyo stormed out the door muttering once again how weird and perverted this house had become.

"Ehehehee."

-----

At last Yuki finally made it back into his room, after having to revisit the bathroom to re-wet the cloth. Sitting back down on the side of the bed, he placed the cool material on Haru's burning forehead and sat back, watching the sleeping face that he actually now could say he had seen quite a few times.

His own thought made him blush slightly and ordered it to disappear.

It was strange really, Haru had been ill last Thursday as well, maybe this was a just a recurring thing he hadn't quite got rid of yet? After all he seemed fine at lunchtime, it must have been one of these fevers that just appear out of the blue. Ones that Tohru seemed to suffer a lot from too.

"Nnnn…" Yuki stopped his thoughts for a moment and looked back down at the sleeping face…which was frowning, "Nnn…………….dad…"

It was barely a whisper, but Yuki heard it. It looked like he was in the beginning of a nightmare, as his eyebrows were still furrowed and he turned over on his back a little more.

"Haru?" Yuki whispered, placing his hands on his shoulders.

Haru didn't do anything else, but whatever was going on in his mind was obviously not pleasant as his features still looked troubled. Yuki looked at him, not knowing what to do but wanting to help anyway. As he watched the nightmare continue, Yuki suddenly had a thought. It was stupid really, he had never heard of it working in real life but they seemed to do it on TV a lot. So, closing his bedroom door so no sneaky camera picture taking peekers could suddenly appear, the two were left in darkness. Taking one deep breath, placing one knee in between Haru's sheet covered legs, Yuki slowly lowered himself so he was lying right on top of him. Trying not to wake him up, he maneuvered his arms underneath so he was holding Haru right close to him. Cheek to cheek, Yuki could feel the burning fever Haru had and held him a little tighter. Closing his eyes, he waited to see if this would help.

For a minute, nothing seemed to change. Yuki could still feel the uneven breathing the nightmare was causing, so tried something else. Turning his head so his nose was just under Haru's jaw line, he whispered.

"It's alright Haru. Whatever you're dreaming, it's alright. Nothing's going to happen." Yuki closed his eyes as he realised how comfortable this actually was, and the memories off all the kindness Haru had shown him when they both lived at the Estate happily flittered across his mind, "Everything's okay," all the times Haru had smiled, "Nothing's wrong," all the times Haru had been right there when he needed him the most, "You're safe here…" all the times Haru had been the only person he had wanted to see,

"…Because I won't let anything happen to you."

"Yu…"

Yuki slowly opened his and looked up at Haru, whose face had relaxed back to a normal sleep. Yuki felt so light, it had actually worked! Seeing that he was alright now, Yuki pressed against the bed to move off Haru before he stopped. He looked back at Haru, looking so cosy and comfy and relaxed, if not for the raging fever anyway. It didn't take Yuki very many seconds to decide.

_Well,_ he thought, as he rested his head back on Haru's shoulder, _Maybe just for a little while longer._

-----

"Ah, so you've decided to rejoin us?" Shigure asked, as Kyo came wandering into the room blatantly ignoring the Dog, and plopping down on a cushion at the table.

"Oh Kyo, just in time dinners nearly ready." Said Tohru as she popped her head round the kitchen door.

"Ahh," Shigure grinned, "So that's why you have returned."

"Shud up!"

As Tohru served out dinner, even on the blank space that was Yuki, she grabbed the tray that held Haru's bowl of fresh soup and walked up the stairs.

"Yuki? Haru?" she said softly at the door. Hearing no answer, she put the tray on the floor and knocked, "Yuki?" Slowly sliding back the door, she came to face possibly one of the cutest scenes she had ever seen. Smiling widely, she knelt down at the end of Yuki's bed. "Yuki?" she said, a slight small giggle to her words, tapping his shoulder, "Yuki dinner's ready."

Very slowly Yuki opened his eyes to come face to face with Tohru's large brown ones.

"Miss Honda?" he said sleepily, before he suddenly realised what, or who, he was currently lying on. "ERRR, ahh, er, Miss Honda don't, don't think that—" Yuki stuttered very embarrassed, but unable to move from his position.

Tohru simply giggled, "It's alright Yuki, dinners ready and I brought Haru some hot soup and tea, it might do him some good."

"Err…" Yuki said, staring at Tohru, still amazed at how easily she had just accepted everything that had been happening this week between them, "Err…yes. Alright."

Gently untangling himself first, Yuki felt it better to wake Haru up _after _he had gotten up off the bed, for waking up to find Yuki lying on top of him may bring out an unwanted side of personality at this point in time.

Tohru brought the tray and placed it just inside before walking out, "Dinners ready when you are." She smiled before walking back down the stairs.

Yuki smiled back at her then turned back to Haru. Well, here goes. "Haru?" he said, before shaking his shoulder slightly, "Haru, Miss Honda's made some soup for you, it'll do you good if you eat it."

Still nothing.

Yuki leant in a little closer.

"Haru? You have to wake up now. Miss Honda's made dinner for you." Suddenly, Haru's right arm flew up from under the covers, grabbed Yuki's, and flipped him over, pinning him to the bed, "H-H-HARU!?"

Haru grinned mischievously and put nose to nose, very much awake, "I'd much rather have you for dinner." He said lustfully.

Yuki sighed frustrated. So much for avoiding the unwanted personality. "Haru, come on, you have a fev—"

Haru leant even closer so his mouth was right by Yuki's ear, "Hmm, I bet you're much tastier."

"WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT!!!"

-----

"What are they doing up there?" said Kyo, before he realised the accusations he suddenly made with that remark and quickly went back to stuffing his face with food to make him forget.

"Yes, it would seem they are definitely not eating dinner that's for sure." Said Shigure, as various shouts of 'Haru' floated down the stairs, followed by several bangs against the wall then a thump as if someone had fallen off the bed.

And with the shouts of infuriation it was guessed that Yuki had been the one who had fallen in the soup.

-----

Haru was simply impossible.

As Yuki stood under the shower trying to wash the remnants of soup out of his hair, Haru was all that was on his mind. One minute he was as calm and content, and then one second later he could be trying to rip his clothes off!! _Idiot,_ Yuki said to himself, although in the end he wasn't sure if it was Haru he was calling an idiot, or himself for blushing once again at his own thoughts.

-----

As Haru sat up in Yuki's bed leaning against the head board, he yawned. It was weird. He was sure he had had a nightmare, but he felt really good when he had woken up. Oh well.

"Haru? Can I come in?"

It was Shigure.

"Sure."

Shigure slid back the door, the running water of Yuki's shower becoming louder for a second before Shigure shut the door behind him. "I just thought you might like to know, I went to see Akito this afternoon."

Haru looked down at the bed covers, "So that's where you went. What did he say?"

Shigure smiled, "Well, I think this is one occasion that even Akito feels guilty on. He still tried to say no, but I think a part of him has realised that, in your case, there isn't much he can do to you without you calling the police."

Haru smiled with relief, "Good, because to be honest, I didn't want to call them. Getting the police involved with Sohma's could unearth things that shouldn't be." Haru looked back to Shigure and paused, not knowing if he really wanted to ask the next question. In almost a whisper, he asked,

"How…how is she?"

Shigure's smile turned into a sympathetic one, "Well, Hatori says she's doing fine now. Obviously he can't see her to check up completely on her anymore, but he's seen her out and about in the town. She's happy."

"Good." Haru smiled.

There was another silence before Shigure asked another question, "I wasn't sure if you would want to visit his grave today."

Haru looked up at the ceiling, "Mmm, I don't think so. I'd rather forget the whole thing. Maybe in a couple of months I'll go, but for now, I'd rather just be with Yuki."

Shigure chuckled, "Ah yes, the almighty healer of heart and mind." Yes, as he had said before, with Yuki around, Haru would be fine, "Well," he began, sitting up from the bed, "I better go and get back to work, now you be a good boy and go to sleep, and try not to attack Yuki again." He waggled his finger at him.

"But I like attacking Yuki." Haru playful grinned, as Shigure laughed walking out the room.

A few moments later, a dressed Yuki walked through the door, his hair only towel dried and damp, "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Not really," Haru replied, before suddenly sneezing.

"Well, you should eat something." It was then Yuki had that strange feeling of wanting to go and do something helpful for Haru again, and pondered for a moment whether or not the idea he had just thought of would, well, be hazardous to Haru's health or not. Still, it was about time he learnt anyway.

"I'm going to go and cook you something."

Haru spluttered into the glass of water he had picked up to drink, "Co, cook me something?"

Yuki glared at him, "Don't look at me like that, I'm going to try and do something nice for you."

Haru gulped. No offence really wanting to be shown, but still, now he _definitely _didn't feel hungry. He had heard about Yuki's so called 'meals' from Shigure when Tohru wasn't around. With the way Shigure described them he was quite surprised either of them were still alive!

So, as Haru waited with anxiety up in the bedroom, Yuki walked into the kitchen. Standing at the counter, he stared at the blank space.

Time to cook!.......umm………

"Er……Miss Honda?"

To be continued…


	16. Laughter Is The Key

AN: BEATEN MY RECORD FOR REVIEWS!!!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Well I say 'beaten', it's been slaughtered, chewed and fed to a herd of six-headed cows! (rambles off into an inspiring speech) Yes I would like to thank you all for supporting me in this hard endeavour, as I stride out into the unknown you were all my foundation of strength and inspiration! I could not have got this far without you all! (well obviously not, if they didn't read it you wouldn't get any reviews) Be quiet Muse. AS I was saying, from now on you will all have a special place in my heart for making this dream become a reality. Thank you all, thank you all, and to all, a goodnight…..(it's 11.35 in the morning)…….I – SAID – GOODNIGHT!!

ANN: Once again sorry for not updating as quick, I was really looking forward to writing Yuki's 'adventures in the kitchen' (no not that!!) so as I finished the last chapter and sat down to write this one, my brain just left me! I couldn't think of a thing to write, at least not anything funny! And that wasn't the only problem; I've got into two more animes at the same time so it's like AHH OVERLOAD! Mahou Tsukai Tai (or Magic Users Club. Ah the beautiful, gorgeous and very gay Aya) and The Slayers (Gourry is so clueless and cute, but XELLOS ROCKS!!) both very very funny shows and recommend to all!

-----

**Chapter 16: Laughter Is the Key**

"Okay, well, how about we start with something simple? Why don't we try to make the Vegetable soup I had made Haru again?"

"Okay."

Now this…this was going to be amusing. Shigure stood in the doorway to the kitchen leaning on the doorframe about to witness what should be a very entertaining part of history in the Sohma household.

"First we have to chop up the vegetables." Said Tohru, tying an apron back around her waist.

Yuki knew very well what Shigure was thinking and shook his head at him. "I am not wearing an apron." He whispered across at him, as Shigure simply grinned and tried not to laugh as Tohru suddenly passed something to Yuki.

"Here Yuki."

Now Shigure did laugh.

"Umm…" Yuki wavered, a sweatdrop forming on the back on his head as he stared and tried to think of an excuse to wearing the pink and white apron being passed to him.

"You don't want to get your clothes dirty." She smiled at him innocently.

"Err, no I…I guess not." Yuki said reluctantly, slowly taking the apron from the joyful Tohru and glaring angrily at a lost in hysterics Shigure.

"What are you laughing at?" came a voice from the living room, as Kyo walked next to Shigure munching on an apple.

Yuki froze on doing the apron up at the back and Kyo stared at him, and with the look on Kyo's face made Shigure burst into another laughter fit. Making no sound at all, Kyo simply turned around.

"No, no, I will not say a thing, I have run out of things to say, there is nothing, nothing left, my mind is blank, it is staying blank, I am leaving, I am not thinking any thoughts…" as he continued out the front door and out of any sound range, an image of Yuki in a pink apron holding a wooden cooking spoon with a backdrop of leeks flashing across his mind.

There and then deciding that really would be his worst nightmare.

As Shigure watched him go, still grinning and desperately trying to swallow his giggles, he turned back to Yuki. The look on his face told Shigure to quietly back out the room, so he decided to watch from afar and sit in the Living Room reading a newspaper, while he kept an amused eye on what was to come.

"I leave him in your lovely hands Tohru." He smiled as he quickly walked out the door before Yuki could throw anything dangerous at him.

-----

Now he had woken up his fever had crept back, and although his skin was burning, Haru felt freezing. He lay under the covers in Yuki's bed, huddling them close and pulling the extra blanket right up over his nose. He lay there with eyes half closed, peering through the window into the blackness of the night. There were no stars tonight; the sky was still covered by a thick blanket of snow-filled clouds, so he just stared into the darkness, feeling useless and pathetic. Still, if he was going to be ill, and if he had to lie somewhere, he was glad it was here. He turned over on his side and buried his face into Yuki's pillow, breathing deeply in a contented sigh as the scent of his special person which just made him grin.

Before sneezing.

-----

"Ouch!" Yuki exclaimed, as the carrot peeler slipped and cut his finger.

"WAHHH YUKI ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?"

-----

Haru groaned in annoyance at his own illness and turned back over on his other side to face the door. He could tell that now he was entering the stage of 'tossing and turning, no matter where you lay you're incredibly uncomfortable' stage of a fever.

-----

Shigure ducked his head to one side, not taking his eyes of the newspaper he was reading, as a half peeled potato came flying through the kitchen doorway straight through the paper doors like a rocket.

-----

Haru closed his eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep, but despite how tired he was, every cell in his body was awake trying to fight this thing, so he ended up just lying half on his front, one arm hanging over the side of the bed, staring at the light coming from crack underneath the door.

-----

"Wait Yuki! You have to put the top on the blender or--!!"

Shigure ducked behind his newspaper as a spray of half blended vegetables came flying through the Kitchen doorway.

-----

Haru slowly opened one eye at the ominous shouts and strange sounds coming from the Kitchen and raised one curious and worried eyebrow, grabbing the covers and pulling them over his head to block out the a formidable disaster that was bound to happen.

-----

Shigure looked up from his now dripping wet newspaper (which he was still reading) and sniffed.

"Is something burning?"

A yelp from Tohru suddenly emanated from the Kitchen, "Yuki!! That was only supposed to boil for 20 minutes!" she panicked, as she grabbed the saucepan off the cooker with a hand cloth and peered inside, "It's boiled dry."

-----

Now there were some very, err, 'interesting' smells making their way upstairs, and Haru poked his head out from under the covers. The burnt, mangled vegetables smell reached his nose, and almost as if a black cloud fell over his head, Haru practically dived back under the sheets.

-----

Shigure jumped in shock and his head shot up towards the kitchen, "What was that?" he asked, mildly concerned for his poor Kitchen with the very loud clank of metal against metal that suddenly sounded.

Tohru's head poked round the corner looking very nervous, "Oh that? That…ohh, err, Yuki's just, errr…!" she smiled, not covering up her story very well.

"I can't get it off." Yuki's voice came from behind her, as she laughed nervously and looked back towards him.

Shigure wondered what was going on until a saucepan shot out from the kitchen making another large hole in the paper doors. Yuki walked out having the decency to look a little guilty as he stood there holding a metal spatula and the handle to what should have belonged to the saucepan. Shigure didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the devastation.

"I was only trying to pry the boiled dry vegetables off the pan." He said to explain himself, before heading back into the kitchen, leaving Shigure to wonder what kind of a state Yuki's cooking really was if a saucepan broke only trying to scrap food off of it.

-----

As Haru lay underneath the covers, he suddenly had a thought. Slowly climbing out of the bed, he walked over to the corner of the room to his duffle bag that he brought originally. Unzipping the bag, and unzipping a separate section inside, he brought out a certain object.

-----

Finding it was now getting rather cold in here, Shigure dumped his soaking newspaper in a bin and walked towards the paper doors, supplies in hand intent on fixing the two gaping holes in his property.

"Wahahaa! Shigure watch out!"

"Hmm?" Shigure turned around to Tohru's frantic cries and found a soup covered teacloth flung on his face.

-----

Pulling the covers back over himself, Haru lay the object on his pillow and gazed at it. He grinned sleepily, _If Yuki ever found out about this…_

-----

Shigure, having washed what had soup on it, returned to kneeling by the paper doors to fix them. But just as he leant forward to place the next piece of paper, Kyo decided to open them causing Shigure to fall forwards out into the snow. Kyo, ignoring the splayed out Shigure in the snow, stepped over him and headed towards the kitchen. Shigure's snow covered head shot up from the ground and turned around to shout out to Kyo.

"Don't go in the—"

But it was to late, as Kyo took one step inside the Kitchen and slipped on spilt patch of soup, causing him to career forward with an '"ARRRGH!" straight into Yuki, who happened to be holding what could just about pass as correctly made homemade soup in a saucepan, only looking up just in time to see the stupid cat flying towards him. So, in a mass of fast movements and tangled limbs, as Kyo came crashing into the pink apron-clad Yuki, the saucepan of soup went hurtling out of his hands.

"Ah, wait you—" Shigure started as he ran to the Kitchen doorway, only to stop mid sentence once again, as a very hot saucepan of soup landed on his head.

………….

…………..

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTT!"

"Not again!" Yuki and Kyo chorused, as Shigure raced out of the kitchen and jumped into the snow outside head first.

-----

He didn't know how long he had been holding the item, but Haru noticed that all the strange noises from downstairs had stopped, which probably meant Yuki had finished cooking.

Haru nerves got back up again.

Suddenly there was a creak from outside his door and a shadow in the light seeping from under it. Haru quickly shoved the item under the pillow and slowed his breathing, pretending to be asleep.

"Haru, are you awake?" came Yuki's soft voice into the quiet air.

Haru cracked one eye open, dreading what he was going to see on the tray of food Yuki had brought him. Instead however, as Haru's eyes widened slightly, he saw Yuki holding a flat white and red box.

"A Pizza?"

Yuki looked away, embarrassed, and sighed, "I gave up on the cooking."

Haru stared at him for a moment, looked back at the Pizza, back up at Yuki, and laughed.

"Don't laugh at me!!" Yuki glared, but Haru couldn't stop.

"I'm not….I'm not laughing at you, it's just….I dunno….it's funny." He said in between laughs, and soon found he couldn't stop himself.

As Yuki looked at Haru still covered snugly under the bed covers, his face smiling and laughing despite his fever, Yuki felt his lips tug slightly upwards. As he looked down at the Pizza he had ordered instead for cooking, he suddenly felt a strange bubbling feeling coming up from inside and a small giggle escaped. If he wasn't laughing so hard, Haru may just has well have stared in shock at the smile that was on Yuki's face, as he began to laugh almost hesitantly as he'd never done it before.

To Haru, it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

-----

"Jeez why do I have to clean it up?" Kyo moaned in annoyance, as he moped up the kitchen floor, being careful to maneuver around Tohru who was cleaning the mush of half blended vegetables off the cupboards.

"Just be thankful he gave up," came Shigure's voice from the Living Room, where he was finishing off repairing the paper doors, "After all if he succeeded in cooking, at least as humanely possible for Yuki to succeed in cooking," he added quietly, "he would only cook more often."

"Argh…" Kyo mumbled at the thought, as he picked up a mangled looking leek from the floor and chucked into the bin in disgust.

With the clunks and running water sounds from the Kitchen, Shigure was the only one to hear the faint laughter coming from upstairs. He smiled to himself as he cello-taped the final bit of paper to the door and stood up, looking towards the staircase where the laughter drifted down from.

It seems things were going to be even easier than he thought this weekend.

-----

Kane walked through the dark town having just finished his Thursday evening part time job. Yawning widely, he ignored a group of guys walking down the other side of the road completely drunk and singing loudly. Shoving his hands into his coat pocket to keep out the winter chill, he continued walking through the trodden snow when he stopped. Turning to his right he looked through a shop window. In the light of a street lamp he could see a certain little purple and pink maid's dress on a manikin. He recognised it as the one Yuki's apparent brother brought in that day and he stood back to read the name of the store.

_Ayame's_

Kane grinned.

He had just been paid.

_-----_

Yuki sat at the edge of his bed watching a now yet again sleeping Haru. Haru didn't have the stomach to eat the whole Pizza because of his fever, so they finished it up together. Now Haru had eaten something, sleep took over him once again and Yuki had spent the last few minutes just sitting there looking at him. The faint sound of the television could be heard downstairs, but other than that, nothing. Yuki watched the rising and fallening of Haru's chest as he breathed, cheeks still softly red from the fever.

He had laughed.

He had never laughed like that.

Well, he had laughed around Tohru a couple of times, but nothing like that. The feeling, it was like he couldn't stop, like Haru had released a part of him that had been locked away for years. It was the first time he had felt truly happy, laughing with him that like. He had never really heard himself laugh before; it was quite strange at first. But now it had happened, Yuki found it rather nice to laugh. It's not possible to feel sad or alone when you laugh, because laughter is the key to being happy! It locks away those other feelings so joy is the only thing that shines through when you laugh.

He liked it, and as he continued to watch Haru, he found himself smiling once again.

To Be Continued…


	17. Beautiful Creature

AN: Ah, usual apologies for lateness, got even more animes now. Weizz Kreuz, Generator Gawl (the only main character I will admit that his English voice is WAAAYY better than the jap. He's hilarious) and Angel Sanctuary. I don't think i'll be getting any more for a while as I've just gone over drawn at my bank because of it hehe. Man I think I've spent thousands of pounds on anime, the only good thing is that for me it's really cheep! The exchange rate between the UK and the US is SO in my favour!

-----

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Diao**** Xiang **

**HappyGlow** – A friend of mine, who we shall refer to as Soul Catcher, we're both going to make Veggie Soup in the summer when she's home from Uni. Considering both of us can't cook to save our lives, I get the feeling it's gonna turn out a bit like Yuki's attempt hehe

**NeuroticSquirrel** – hehe, thank you. I love teasing Kyo with this stuff HAHA!

**Gia**

**LittleDarkOne** – Yeah, lol, it's been long enough! (restraining….from writing…..'the scene'……)

**DarkangelWings** – lol Ahh yes, Haru's secret little item! Well…………….…(can see everyone leaning closer to hear)………………ya right, like I'm gonna tell you! :)-

**C-chan** - Zelgardis was my favourite, but I REALLY wish the voice actor (only seen the English one so far) hadn't changed, I went off him then. Although I love the 'Lets play the guitar calmly while the boat sinks' scene lol Then again, Xellos's English voice is like ARGH! But I still love the character. Everyone's voices are so much better in Japanese, I don't know why I keep on watching the English dubs first. Probably to save the best until last hehe.

**Sorrowful Memory**

**Kativa-chan** - Oh yes, slowly but surely, our Yuki is falling for him (is continuing……to restrain…….from writing…….'the scene'.)

**Kittycatcharm**

**D&G** - Kane, lol Poor Yuki's gonna be in for a shock……a very very very very very very very (do you think everyone will get the point?) very _embarrassing_ shock….

**-----**

**Chapter 17: Beautiful Creature**

So he was going to be a little late to school, so what?! Some things were far more…interesting…than school. And besides, if his plan would work, he wouldn't care if he got detention for being late for the next month…if he got to see this…

-----

"Naughty, Experienced, Sensual and Wild. Not only does it describe my perfect woman, but it also happens to be how I remembered my North South East and West in school!"

Kyo looked up from his breakfast and stared at Shigure with a very perplexed look on his face, "……………_why_ are you telling me this?"

"Good morning." Said Haru, walking down the stairs.

"Ah Haru, feeling better?" Shigure inquired.

"Yeah actually, I am." He said, although he seemed to be smirking slightly.

Behind him walked in Yuki, who seemed to be limping on one leg. Looking at that, and seeing the small smirk on Haru's face, Shigure, of course, could only come up with one possible explanation.

"…….Well I should have known it wouldn't take long! I must commend you though, you were both very quie-"

WHACK!!

"Now now Yuki," Shigure laughed lightly, rubbing his head, "There's no need to be hitting me now is there?"

"I'll stop hitting you when you stop being so filthy." Yuki growled at him, limping over to the table and breakfast, "I just slept at an awkward angle and my leg fell asleep that's all."

Haru smirk turned into a true smile and he laughed to himself.

"Well what's with him then?" said Kyo, pointing a chopstick towards Haru who was now sitting seemingly lost in his own little world.

A small blush seemed to suddenly appear on Yuki's cheeks which disappeared just as fast, "I have no idea."

It was an obvious lie.

"Ahhhhhhh," Shigure, err, ahhed, "I see! It's a no idea is it?" he teased, he was going to get this out of the lying little rat, "Haru?"

"Mmmm?" Haru replied dreamily, poking at his breakfast with his chopsticks and staring with half closed eyelids at Yuki, who was deliberately ignoring him.

"Don't-you-dare." Yuki glared at Haru through the corner of his eye, to which Haru just grinned and popped a small clump of rice in his mouth, looking over at Shigure and shrugging in a half joking apology.

"Oh go on." Shigure whined.

Yuki continued to ignore him. Yeah, like he was going to tell him he had fallen asleep watching Haru and had woken up to find himself lying next to him snuggled up close and his arms wrapped around his chest holding him tightly.

-----

After reassuring Tohru around seven times that he was feeling much better, Haru and the group were walking to school, with Kyo trailing behind keeping as far away from these people as possible, walking in footsteps behind Tohru.

"Haru?" said Yuki softly.

"Yeah."

"Are…are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm sure."

Yuki smiled shyly, "Good."

Haru glanced at him through the corner of his eye and smiled to himself. With the way he woke up this morning to find this perfect being snuggled up to tightly against him, how he possibly not feel anything but happy, alive, and far off in a blissful dream land.

Until he walked into a pole that is.

-----

Ayame walked around the shelves in his shop arranging a new fabric for two chest manikins to stand on. Behind him the bell for someone coming through the door sounded and he turned around, a big smile on his face for the first customer of the day.

"Good morning young man! What can I do for you?" he asked cheerfully, his long silver hair swaying slightly from the breeze that had come through the door.

"Erm…hi." Kane said nervously, as he recognised this man being Yuki's brother from that day at school, "I was interested in getting a…a maids dress," he whispered, "its, err…for, a friend."

"Ohh, I see, 'a friend'," Ayame said, almost tutting, "There is no need to be so shy you know, this is the business for men's romance, anything goes here, you don't have to blame it on 'a friend'."

"Well, yes but—"

"Whatever you want, I can make it for you. Now lets see, what's your size, height, measurements I need measurements, MINE!"

"Yes?" came the excited face from behind the backroom door.

"No, you don't understand, it really _is_ for a frie—"

"HAHAHAHAHAA," he laughed, grabbing Kane by his arm and leading him out back, "Let's get you measured up!"

"No it's not for me—"

"Now what colours did you have in mind? Patterns, frills, lace—"

"IT'S FOR YOUR BROTHER!!"

-----

It was the lesson before lunch, and both Yuki's and Haru's class had a joint P.E. lesson. For the moment, it was simply running around the tracks for warm-up. Kane pulled his sports shirt over his head as he ran towards the field. He was expecting Yuki's brother to be angry with him when he had blurted that out, he wasn't expecting him to go completely hyper and happy and insist they got everything perfect for him, so he ended up being later than he thought on coming back to school.

To his relief, he saw Yuki running alone, Haru quite away behind with some others. So, waiting until Yuki caught around to him, Kane ran out and ran along beside him.

"I thought you weren't here today?" Yuki puffed as they continued to run.

"Can I just say something?"

Yuki nodded.

"I reckon you'd look great in a dress."

Yuki ran into the fence.

-----

His plan was well under way! Asking those girls to corner Yuki after that P.E. lesson was a brilliant idea! Now Yuki was running late into lunch, everyone else had showered and dressed, and now Yuki was all alone.

Kane looked around him to make sure no teacher was looking. Not that it would have mattered, he was only normally walking down a normal corridor, nothing suspicious at all. Nope, nothing suspicious about the pink and white bag he was clutching nervously to his chest, nothing at all.

-----

Yuki stood under the empty school showers. He didn't know what to make of Kane. One minute it would seem like he was trying really hard to be himself and just join in, and other times he was like he had reverted back to his other self in just a split second. Yuki had thought he had made that perfectly clear he did not appreciate the comments that he came out with before, and that dress comment was high up on the list.

In fact, he was so busy trying to figure out what Kane was really about, he didn't notice the door to the changing rooms open and that said person creeping through.

Kane poked his head round the door of the changing rooms to see only the steam from Yuki's shower, every where else empty. Fighting against the extremely tempting urge to walk into the shower, Kane made his way over to the towel and pile of clothes left to one side on a bench.

"Hello?" Yuki called out, as Kane froze reaching into the pink and white bag.

He really didn't need Yuki to see him now of all times, he'd be as mad as hell if he found out what he was doing. Still, there was this tiny weeny voice at the back of his mind saying Yuki was going to be furious with him anyway after this, but this was too much of a great chance to listen to a conscience. He couldn't help being like this. He really did want to stop being a loser and actually make some friends, but it was too much fun being a sneak. Yuki obviously hadn't worried about anyone being out here, so Kane grabbed Ayame's dress out the bag and grabbed Yuki's sport's clothes and towel and put them inside it instead. Leaving the dress out on the bench, Kane crept out the changing room with a rather disturbing smile on his face.

There were no other towels or clothes in the room.

-----

"So, Tohru, you still up for this weekend?" Uo asked during lunch.

Tohru stared blankly at her plate, "……….THE WEEKEND!!" she suddenly yelped, jumping up from her chair, "Oh no I forgot to ask Shigure if it would be okay!! OoooooOoohhh what am I going to do it's going to be so rude to ask at the last minute! He, I, but, what am I—"

"Jeez relax," Uo chuckled, "It's just Shigure, I'm sure he won't mind."

"Oh and I forgot to tell Yuki, and Haru and Kyo, oh what about cooking and, well I know it's only two days but, but, and clothes and…"

Uo and Hana just watched their friend stand there having a mild panic attack and wondered just how incompetent these Sohma's really were if she was this worried she couldn't leave them alone for one weekend.

-----

_Please, God no._

Yuki, having quickly wedged a smaller chair against the changing room door, now stood in a dilemma he really really _really_ wished he wasn't in.

_Who the **hell** has stolen my clothes!?_

His immediate thought was Haru, but he quickly vanquished that. Haru would never do something like this, even in his Black mode. He wouldn't be a sneak, he's more of a hands on person.

….not a good phrase.

Then he though of Kyo, some stupid prank the idiot would pull to get back at him for doing something, or generally just being alive. But no, this definitely wasn't Kyo's style in the slightest, even less than Haru. Yuki looked around the empty room, nothing but benches, hooks and water drains. And of course the pink and lavender dress but Yuki was really trying not to think of that.

_"I reckon you'd look great in a dress."_

Yuki's eyes widened. He wouldn't. He couldn't! Not even Kane would do this. Would he? Yuki glanced back down at the dress. There were no other clothes in here. He knew what he would have to do, but his mind was bluntly refusing the fact that to get to the locker room and grab his school clothes, he'd have to walk out of here, down the corridor, take a right, then a left into the locker room.

In the dress.

Well, he had a choice, in the dress or naked.

…….Great choice.

-----

Kane sat in the locker room waiting for his dream to walk through the door. He knew in the back of his mind Yuki would probably never want to be with him, so he'd decided he could deal with a lifetime of hatred form the Prince if he got to see this one blissful moment that would make up for any unhappiness to follow.

-----

_It even fits,_ was Yuki's first thought, as he blushed with embarrassment even with no one else in the room. The edge of the skirt barley got half way down his thighs, this was 10 times worse then that dress the Seniors bought him last time. He could just about put up with that one, but this, this was death by embarrassment. So he now had a death list of people to destroy. 1) Kane for even letting a thought like this enter his mind, and 2) Ayame! It was his dress he just knew it!!

Taking an incredibly deep breath to calm his racing nerves, Yuki slowly drew the chair away from the door and put his hand on the handle. Pulling it towards him, he peeked round the corner. Luckily for him, just like it was with the Mistletoe incident, it was lunch, so there was no one around. Then again, thinking of the Mistletoe incident, it didn't actually turn out to well. Chased down the corridor by two girls, innocent yet guilty to everyone else little incident with Kane, and 'The Talk' from the teacher.

Maybe comparing it to that wasn't such a great idea.

-----

Kyo walked down a corridor towards a staircase near the front doors of the school, stomach full and happily content. He was heading for one of his spots on the roof of the school, hoping to get in a quick nap before lessons began.

-----

Yuki prayed to any God, Goddess, Miracle, mysterious fate devising creature that could possibly exist in reality or mythology, for no person, alive nor dead, to see him in this dress. He crept along the wall of the corridor, ears sensitive to any slight noise that would make its way towards him. Right, he had managed to get half way down the corridor and had got to the corridor on the right he needed to turn down. Peering round the corner, he quickly jerked back, his back pressed up against the wall as a group of girls walked out of one door down that corridor, laughing about something, and walking through a door further down.

With his heart about to burst through his chest, Yuki calmed down his breathing and looked round the corner once again. The corridor was empty, so slid around the corner and made his way down. He could see the door to the locker room on the left further down, so began to walk a little faster. He was so close, no one was here, it was going to be fine. He'd get his clothes, and murder Kane later.

Unfortunately however, Yuki was concentrating so hard on getting to that door, he forgot he had to pass through an adjoining corridor, and as he ran past it, Kyo ran into him from the side.

Yuki fell back against the wall, Kyo falling flat on his face on the floor, "Watch where you're going you stupid girl." Kyo grumbled, kneeling up on one knee and rubbing his nose.

Yuki simply looked down at him, frozen to the spot, with a mix of horror and utter embarrassment as Kyo suddenly realised who he was looking at was definitely _not_ a girl.

As Kyo's eye widened in realisation, "Wha…you're—" he shot his hand up pointing at Yuki's dress, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN A DRESS??!!" his voice almost seemed high pitched at the end.

As if on cue, the group of girls Yuki had spotted earlier walked out of the room they had walked into and stopped in their tracks at the scene before them. Not only was it Prince Yuki in the shortest dress that could possibly be conceived, but his cousin was now down on one knee in front of him.

You could practically see the hearts that floated around the girls heads, "Is he…is he…" one stuttered, the biggest loving grin on her face as she tried to communicate with her friends, "Is he…proposing?" she squeaked.

Kyo, who had been glaring at the girls, heard what they said and shot up so fast he was practically a blur, "Don't be an idiot of _course_ I wasn't!!" Kyo growled at them, his face almost matching his hair.

"What was that?"

Yuki's head snapped to his right to see more students looking out from doors to see what Kyo's original outburst was about. The looks on their faces as they saw Yuki backed up against the wall in a pink and purple maid's outfit made Yuki want to disappear into thin air. The girl's starting squealing, the guys had very strange smiles on their faces, Kane had just appeared out of the locker room and stood there in a daze looking at this beautiful creature, and as for Haru and Tohru who had just walked down the corridor and noticed who was standing there, Yuki couldn't take it anymore.

And transformed.

To Be Continued…


	18. Never Stood A Chance

AN: Man that has to be the evilest cliff-hanger I've put in this fic so far. All the reviews I got I could just see your faces lol

Speaking of which, THANKS TO YOU ALL!

**Gia** – Aw thank you!! :)

**NeuroticSquirrel** – lol I did I did! I updated faster for you!

**SpringSnow**– Ah, 'the scene.' 'The scene' you won't find out about until the weekend, so it's gonna be a few chapters away yet. ;) And Haru's object, eheh, you also won't find out about for a few chapters. Hehe, yes I must admit, I do love torturing Kyo!!! MWHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!

**Oilcake** – Well that's what I thought, I needed him to transform but considering there are no girls to hug, as such (that would just be an easy way to do it anyway) I had to think of a different way. And the last chapter is what my brain decided to think up ;)

**Sorrowful Memory** – lol Falling off chair not a good thing, could hurt quite a bit. Then again, thanks also for nearly falling off your chair, I'm happy my fic may be worthy of falling of chairness, hehe.

**D&G** – You're dying? AHH! DON'T DIE! I'm updating I'm updating, I'M UPDATING!!

**sodachan20 -** (blush) …Wow, thank you!!!! :):):):):) And yes I will agree that anyone with Yuki could be considered a fantastic pairing, but ahh, Yuki and Haru (little hearts start floating around her head).

**Madam Wood **– AH! Madam Wood! (a best friend like Soul Catcher mentioned in the previous chapter). I could like spend hours writing reviews to your reviews, but hey, I blab on MSN and the phone long enough, so I'm sure you get the idea ;) Glad you like it so much!!!!!!!

------

AN: Little warning for language in this chapter. Haru gets _slightly _angry.

**-----**

**Chapter 18: Never Stood A Chance**

As the pink smoke died down, and all that was left was a crumpled pink and purple dress on the floor, with a small, grey rat sitting on top of it, the corridor was suddenly a buzz with whispering. Tohru had the largest sweat drop imaginable at the back of her head as she stared at the rat on the floor, her eyes wavering with a panic she was trying to conceal.

"Hey! Hey what's going on I can't see!" came a familiar voice, as Haru turned around to see Momiji jumping up and down behind him.

Quick thinking time.

Haru grabbed Momiji's wrist and pulled him forward in between Kyo and Yuki, grabbing Tohru along with his other hand. It looks like Shigure's little way of covering up before may come in handy now.

"Thank you Yuki. And that's not all we have on show for our surprise lunch time entertainment system the school council has decided to start." Haru began to the crowd in the crossroads of corridors, "It's a surprise special effects show we are putting on as a taster for the plan we have for next term after the holidays." What they were going to do after the holidays after this was something that would have to be figured out later, "Now, let's continue. My beautiful assistant here will perform 'the magic touch'."

Tohru blinked as Haru held out his hand for her. Not entirely sure what Haru was planning, but practically frozen with fear for the secret and confusion anyway, she took it. Immediately Haru flung her past him straight into Momiji, who in a puff of yellow smoke turned into the small bunny, who sat on the floor and looked up at Tohru with big brown eyes. The crowd was silent for a moment before an eruption of claps and cheers filled the corridors.

"WOW!"

"How do you do that?!"

"I never knew this school could afford special effects like this just for lunch time entertain—"

"And that's not it," Haru continued, interrupting this in quizzical girl before she could get people thinking, and flung a still stunned Tohru over to Kyo, who as expected in puff of orange smoke, 'disappeared', and in his place lay an angry looking cat. More claps and cheers were passed around and the girls cooed with cuteness as they patted the bunny, attempted to pat the spitting cat, and held the tiny rat in their hands.

"That's it for now, we will leave you with an air of mystery." He winked at one girl who was staring at him in awe, who blushed and looked away.

Now, picking up the bunny and rat, and throwing a warning glare at the cat who had backed up against the wall hissing at all the girls trying to get near it, walked over and picked it up.

"Thank you once again, I hope you enjoyed—"

"Where'd they all go?"

Tohru and Haru froze as they attempted to walk down the corridor as innocently as possible. After a pause, Haru slowly turned around,

"That…is a secret."1 he said mysteriously quietly, before grabbing Tohru's hand and racing off down the corridor before the three animals in his arms decided to change back.

-----

It was nearing the end of the day, last break before the final lessons began. Kane now stood staring at the books in his open locker with a strange feeling he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He was thinking of going home, no point in staying and doing nothing, at least, he thought that's what he was thinking about, but there was something else that was pushing through. He felt…guilty? For what, thinking of going home? He'd done this a dozen times, cutting class. But somehow, this feeling of guilt wasn't directed at that, it was something else.

"It was you…wasn't it?"

Kane looked to his left to see Haru standing at the other end of the row of lockers, looking at him through lowered eyelids. Kane quickly averted his eyes back to his locker, suddenly that feeling of guilt had found its place. It would seem Haru had definitely not forgotten the humiliation he had put Yuki through by wearing that dress.

"What is wrong with you?"

Kane still didn't look at him. He pretended to he couldn't hear him and busied himself by taking books out of his locker and putting them in his bag. He heard Haru's footsteps as he walked towards him, and Kane suddenly felt a wave of fear wash through him. He wanted to say something back, like he normally would have done, boasting, teasing, anything, but he just stayed quiet, staring into the grey metal at the back of his locker. He had nothing to say, because he had no excuses.

_Perhaps I 'have' gone too far this time?_

He felt Haru stop about two footsteps away from him, and Kane felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise slightly in nervousness. He suddenly regretted walking into Ayame's store this morning.

"You're disgusting."

His voice was that furious calm again, the voice that would only seem to appear when something truly dear to Haru was offended, a voice only recently come to be heard.

Kane looked down towards his right, away from Haru's accusing eyes. He sighed. Once again, what he had done, was something he actually didn't want to do. He didn't want to act like this, he didn't want to be seen as the freak, the loner, and any other kind of outcast name people could think of, but even knowing that, he still did these things that made people hate him. It was almost as if he would do these weird things to say to people  
"Hey! Look at me!! Look at me!!". Maybe it was all attention seeking, maybe he just wanted to be noticed than to just sit in the corner alone and lost in his own little world.

"There…" Kane began, still avoiding looking at Haru, "There is something I want to ask you."

"What?" Haru stated flatly.

"What do you really feel about Yuki?"

"I feel enough for him to beat the shit out of you if you so much as look at him ever again." Haru's voice was disturbingly calm when speaking, just like he had done to Yuki when he had compared him to Akito that day.

Kane smiled subtly; perhaps that teasing feeling hadn't _quite_ gone away. "You shouldn't be so rude to your seniors you know."

Before he could say another word, Kane's locker was slammed shut right in front of him and he was spun back around and slammed hard against it, the back of his head hitting the metal harshly.

"Listen you sick bastard, as much as I would like to leave you in a bloody heap on the floor, for some weird reason Yuki is trying to be friends with you and all you do is put him through humiliation like _this_," he growled, shoving the pink and purple maids dress into Kane's chest, "and all the other fucked up 'jokes' _you_ think are funny."

"_I'm_ sick?" Kane inquired with one eyebrow raised, confidence suddenly dominate for short space of time, "Who's related to who?"

Haru's eyes flashed with anger before he lowered his head slightly, smirking, before looking directly into Kane's eyes, "Hmph, you're not even worth the air you breathe."

Kane had the decency to look a little taken back.

"That's always the excuse with people like you isn't it? 'Moral principles.' Do you really think I could care less about that? So what? Because unlike you, who is just obsessed with getting attention by trying to go after the most popular guy in school, unlike you…" Haru narrowed his eyes, making sure Kane got his point perfectly, "…I love Yuki, more than anyone else on this planet could possible even compare too."

Kane couldn't look anywhere but into Haru's blazing eyes, and apart from the severe anger that was directed at him, he saw a sincerity inside that made that guilt he was feeling earlier return in full throttle. He loved Yuki. He would have to admit it, Haru loved Yuki, and with someone as fiercely protective like this at Yuki's side, _I guess I really don't have much of a chance after all._

Haru closed his eyes and looked away, taking a deep breath. It would seem for Yuki's sake he was really trying hard not to go full out Black against the boy he currently held a death grip on.

"Look," Haru started again, trying to calm his voice, "Do yourself a favour…just stay the hell away from me, and the hell away from Yuki."

Without looking at him, Haru let go of Kane's shoulders and turned to walk towards the end of the locker room and the door. Kane still stood backed up against the lockers, as he raised one arm to touch his shoulder where bruising was bound to form.

"And I mean it Murasaki," Kane turned his head against the locker to look at Haru, who had stopped near the door. He didn't turn to look at him, but the stern tone in Haru's voice showed he meant every word, "I don't care I get expelled, if you do anything to Yuki again…I swear you won't be able to walk for the next decade."

And with that headed out the door, leaving a silent chill to surround the older boy left alone.

------

It would seem that, due to the very surprising 'special effects' show that no one could figure out how they did it, everyone seemed to have forgotten about Yuki in his dress, either to busy trying to figure out about the 'show' or thinking it was all part of it anyway. Sure people had been pestering him none stop, but he wasn't going to tell them the truth now was he? Even Tohru had been kind enough not to ask any questions about that, Yuki himself trying not to think about what she thought of him now. So after having his first piece of good luck from the entire week, Yuki leant back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief as the end of school bell rang. Somehow he had managed to get though this entire week, just about at least. Now it was the weekend, where nothing could go wrong.

No embarrassments, no idiot pranks, just peace, quiet, and away from pestering school girls…and boy for that matter. Just two whole days of nothing but…

"Haru."

Yuki looked to his right to see Tohru looking at him. "I'm sorry?" he blinked, not sure of what he had heard, whether it was Tohru speaking or his mind making him hear things.

"Oh, I said I think something is bothering Haru."

"Oh?"

"Well I didn't say anything but when we were walking to class but…I saw him walk by in front of me and he looked pretty angry about something."

Yuki frowned, Haru had been all right all day, even handled that lunch time scene ver……But of course, Yuki suddenly realised that it would have been Haru who would not have forgotten about the dress incident beforehand, and it was somewhat obvious that Kane was behind it. Despite him wanting to inflict much pain on Kane for putting him through that, Yuki felt a little worried for him now. If Haru managed to corner Kane somewhere…it could get nasty.

Yuki rose from his seat, "I'll go and find him." and walked out the classroom.

-----

Kagura skipped happily along the sidewalk down town, the tail of her cat rucksack swinging along behind her. At her side she carried a brown duffle bag that was covered in badges of all the cats she could find. Her school had finished for the Christmas holidays today, so she only had a half day, which meant she had time to pack what she needed for the weekend and walk to Shigure's house. She brought one hand to her cheek and grinned widely, _this is going to be the GREATEST weekend EVER!_

-----

Kane slid down to the floor by his locker and sighed in relief, his confident feeling suddenly disappearing now Haru had left, _I thought he was going to kill me!_

"Kane?"

Kane looked up to see Yuki standing near him having walked through the door looking for Haru. Kane's eyes lightened up a little, but disappeared just as quickly. He didn't deserve to even be near Yuki anymore. He looked away to the floor, awaiting another angry person to start shouting at him and saying what a waste of space he was.

"Have you seen Haru?" Yuki said after pause, having thought about telling Kane about what he really felt about him, but wanting to see if Haru had already got to him first.

"Yeah I've seen him." He said, stepping up from the floor and opening his now slightly bent locker door.

Neither one elaborated on either sentence, so Yuki simply watched as Kane removed two books and placed them inside his bag, attempting to shut the locker door which bounded back open now it was bent.

"Why did you do that Kane?"

He had been waiting for that, "I don't know!" Kane said forcefully, avoiding Yuki's eyes, "I'm sorry okay, I don't know why I did it!" he found himself shouting as he tried to slam his locker shut again only for it to bounce back hard against the one next door. Yuki didn't flinch at his raised voice, he stayed where he was as a very pissed off Kane started to shine through, "I'm just fed up with people treating me like crap! Yeah I know when all I do is humiliate people I'm just being a hypocrite, but hey, I'm so sorry for not being ideal human being." He now stood faced away from Yuki, clutching the straps of his bag that rest on a side bench. Once again Yuki said nothing, just listened. "I…I really am sorry." Kane began, his voice now calm and guilt ridden, "I know that won't change anything now, you must hate me even more."

"I feel sorry for you, although I don't know which would be better." Yuki stated.

Kane felt so tired, right now he was an emotional mess. Another silent pause as two sides of Kane's personality fought against each other, before he finally gave in. "Haru…he really loves you." Yuki wasn't expecting him to say that and looked a little shocked. "I…I won't try anything any more. I can see how much he feels for you, I'm just being selfish and obnoxious, and I'm sorry." Kane sounded pretty upset, being hard to admit out loud what was obviously happening, "Haru…when he came in here…he was so protective of you, I didn't know what to say back." He turned back around to face Yuki, whose eye were wide and bright, "As weird as this is going to sound coming from me…don't let him get away." He tried an awkward smile, "You do always seem so happy around him."

"YUKI!"

The two boys turned towards the door where Haru's voice was coming from down the corridor.

"I guess that's my cue to leave." Kane smiled, before walking out the door before Haru could see him with Yuki.

Yuki looked back at Kane's locker, having given up and hung by its hinges half closed, as his mind drifted back to Haru. Even Kane had noticed the way he acted around him, was he really that obvious? And Haru being protective, did he really have someone so loving so close that he just ignored? Haru sure was persistent that was for sure.

"Yuki?"

Yuki turned back around to see Haru standing just inside the door, darting his eyes around probably to try and spot Kane. It was that defensiveness for Yuki that was showing again, and for one moment, Yuki actually felt like smiling. Walking towards him, Yuki slowly placed his arms around Haru's waist and held him against him, smiling softly into his hair.

Who knew why Yuki was hugging him, but Haru was sure as hell glad he was! This was the first time Yuki had willingly showed any kind of affection towards him without he himself pushing it. So as Haru hugged him back, sliding his arms under Yuki's and holding the only person he would ever want in this world, a sappy smile found his lips.

Kane never stood a chance in the first place.

To Be Continued…

1 lol Ah, sorry, couldn't resist sticking Xello's infamous saying from The Slayers in there! ;)


	19. Only Just Beginning

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Gia – **lol awwness.

**minnermon** – Well in the anime Haru said that after he met Yuki he become Black less and less, so the way I figure it if Yuki starts responding to his advances even more than he has done before, Haru's reason to go Black goes down too, well, at least the _violent _Black anyway ;)

**neuroticsquirrel **– lol I know, I'm a sap, and write stuff that can be very corny, but hey! Personally I like a bit of corn! :) And what I'm I gonna do now? I'm gonna post another chapter!

**Chiharu-Chan – **Glad ya think so! :)

**riversprite77** – lol Thank you!

**C-chan **– LOL Oh you have NO idea how much I like to tease! My friends are quite used to me saying so many hints but not quite enough to give anything away, it drives them nuts (can see Soul Catcher and Madam Wood glaring at me and agreeing) Ehehehehehe!!So yes, 'the scene' will arrive eventually. We're at the weekend now, and this is where things start to get interesting ;) lol I know! It sucked when they changed Zelgadis's voice! They didn't even bother to try and find an actor that could do the same voice, it was totally different. Grrrrrrr.

**DarkangelWings – **I find Tohru to be the easiest character to write, it's so easy just to stick her on a 'mum rant' too, hehe.

**Baka Ichigo Neko** – (joins in her banner march) YEY!!!! Hehe, yes, all my bugging things, I've made such a big thing out of Haru's little object now, I bet it's bugging everyone heh! Sorry ya'll, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. ;)

**Sorrowful Memory** – Oh I'm keeping writing, that's for sure. Man this fic has bee going on for months!

**frustratedneko** - LMAO Man I should start up a competition or something to see if anyone can guess what Haru's little object is, I think it really _is_ bugging everyone! Yeah I have the first 2 mangas (I can't afford to get the other one till next month! Damn them! Why can't they pay me more!!) so I don't know what kind of love it really is between these two, but even so, I'm a Yaoi fan, I will FIND a connection! Lol

**Mata** – Ah, yeah I know, spelling mistakes. You'd never believe English was my best subject when I was at school. Thanks for pointing that out! (and I even did re-read it! :(,,,,)

**D&G** - hehe, well Kagura, after her little meeting with Ayame quite a few chapters back, you can now find out the result of that in this chapter! (an I am VERY glad you're not dying any more :)

------

**AN:** Right, now before I forget AGAIN to do this thank you, I want to give the shower idea in the chapter before credit to Soul Catcher, who came up with it and allowed me to use it. THANKS BUDDY!

**------**

**Chapter 19: Only Just Beginning**

Shigure slid open the front door, "Ah, Kagura, right on time." he said, as she popped out from behind the trees and ran towards him, jumping over the dufflebag and the suitcase on the ground….and straight past him.

"KYO! KYO WHERE ARE YOU MY LOVE?!"

------

Kyo suddenly stopped and shivered slightly.

"What's wrong Kyo?" Tohru asked, as she, Kyo, Haru and Yuki walked back home.

"Err, it's nothing." He said, brushing it aside, somehow knowing he had felt this feeling of anxiety before.

As Tohru and Kyo walked up ahead, Yuki and Haru walk side by side behind. Usually, Yuki had always figured if he had by some miracle actual hugged someone willingly, he'd feel rather awkward afterwards, but when he had hugged Haru, he didn't even feel embarrassed afterwards. It felt, normal, nothing felt any different, so for the first time as he walked beside him, he didn't feel any annoying blush try to force its way forward, he just felt, nice.

Haru certainly felt nice.

"What is that doing here?" Kyo suddenly asked, as they were about to turn down the path that led to their house when he spotted a coach parked on the road outside.

Both Yuki and Haru glanced at it but continued to walk into the forest. Tohru stopped but continued walking after a short pause. Kyo was sure he had seen that coach before, something was bugging him, and for once it wasn't Yuki and Haru's togetherness. He ran to catch up with the others, having a very bad feeling that something was going to happen that he didn't want to be a part of.

"KYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Freezing on the spot as he walked out of the forest into the clearing in front of the house, Kyo stared gawping at Kagura as she stood by the front door with her hands clasped together by her cheek.

"Wahh…wha…what are you doing here!?" he asked in shock, taking a step back and dreading the answer.

"Oh my love," she started, her eyes wobbling with happiness and took a few steps towards him, "It will just be you I-"

"-AH! You're all home!" Shigure suddenly intervened, walking through the door and in front of Kagura before she could say, or do, anything else, "Just in time to say goodbye Kyo."

"Huh?"

"YEY!!" Kagura ran out from behind Shigure and zoomed straight towards the terrified looking zodiac and flung her arms around him, "OH JUST US!! HOW UTTERLY PERFECT!!"

As Kagura continued to, ahem, lovingly welcome Kyo back home, Shigure wandered over to Tohru, "You all set Tohru?"

"OH yes!" she exclaimed, both answering the question and reminding herself to actually tell the others, "I'm staying over at Uo's house for the weekend." She said to Yuki and Haru, "I'm really sorry, with everything that's been going on I totally forgot to tell everyone," she quickly apologised, bowing quickly, "You…you don't mind do you?" she asked the pair.

Yuki just smiled, "Of course not." He said, as Tohru smiled widely.

"Not that it's going to matter to them." Shigure muttered to himself.

"GET OFF OF ME!!"

"Ohhhh Kyo!....GET BACK HERE!!!!"

As Tohru wandered back inside the house to get the last of her things, Yuki and Haru left Kyo and Kagura to 'play' outside, and headed back in the house. Shigure watched them go and waited for the reaction.

"What are you doing here?" came Yuki's voice.

"I'M SOOOORRRYYYY!"

-----

"Alright, _what _are you planning?" Yuki immediately demanded, as Shigure sat down with a cup of tea next to the shaking Ritsu.

"Now now don't look at me like that, you'll be thanking me by Monday!"

"_What_…are you doing?" Yuki stated again, as Kyo came flying over the top of their heads, luckily through the already open paper doors, as an Olympic running Kagura shot past them after him.

"I'm giving you two a nice relaxing holiday! Fully paid by me of course." He added, awaiting thanks but receiving nothing from Yuki but a warning glare.

"What do you mean the _two_ of us?" he asked dangerously, as Haru suddenly realised what the concept of 'holiday' and 'two' meant when it involved Yuki and had troubling hiding the smile on his face.

Luckily Yuki hadn't noticed.

"Why you and Haru of course." Shigure said, as though it was the most obvious thing on the planet, "Well you've all been working so hard at school," he said dramatically proudly, "so I thought a nice weekend break would do you good."

"We only have one and half more days at school left why did you feel the need to do this _now_!"

Haru watched as the tone in Yuki's voice rose in anger, but his expression showed something else. There was a slight blush on his cheeks that hadn't been there a minute ago, and it seemed the reason he was angry was because it was just going to be him and Haru…alone…for the whole weekend….alone….

"Really just us two?" Haru asked rather too quickly, as Yuki stared at him as he didn't sound angry at all, when he _damn well should be!...I think._

"I'm sorry," came Ritsu's timid voice, "I…I didn't know that you didn't know, if I had known that you didn't know, then I would have known to…ah…if you don't want to go-"

"-Of _course _we don't want to go!" Yuki said, teeth clenched as this overly done fake anger showed through, his small blush saying otherwise, and deliberately speaking for both of them before Haru could make him change his mind, "We are _not _spending the weekend at the Hotspring!" he demanded.

"But your clothes are already packed and on the coach ready and waiting." Shigure said

"….you WHAT?!"

"Hey," came a deep voice from the doorway, "Can we get going? I've got other guests to take home once I drop you off."

"I'M SORRY!!!" I'M REALLY SORRY!" suddenly screamed the once more frantic crossdresser, "I don't mean to rush things," he said to Shigure, kindly on behalf of the annoyed driver waiting for them, "I'm sorry!! I'm sorry!! I don't want you to rush, take your time, but oh! The driver wants to go and, and and and-"

He dropped to the floor as Shigure poked him in his side, "It's quite alright," he said to the driver, "they were just heading out."

The driver nodded and turned around to head back to his coach.

"NO WE'RE NOT!" Yuki screamed at him, the growing redness in his face giving away his real feelings on the matter, which Shigure blatantly noticed,

"Why not?" Haru asked.

Why not indeed. Yuki suddenly felt very awkward. Why not in the Hotsprings? There wasn't anything to be embarrassed about, right? The Hotsprings were nice, he had been with Tohru before (and Kyo) and had gone plenty of other times as a child. He even went with Haru when he was 11 before anyway. _So why does this feel different?_

"Ah now, see, it should be good fun." Shigure said, noticing Yuki's quietness to that question, and the way he was blushing. "Come on now, don't want to keep the nice driver waiting do we."

Shigure rose form his seat and helped up a limp and placid Ritsu off the floor.

"Right, well, I'm off now." Tohru said, almost falling down the stairs clutching onto a bag, yelping in surprise as Kyo ran past her in a blur and an insane looking Kagura grabbing him into a headlock by the front door.

Shigure grinned, "Have a fun time with your friends!" he said cheerfully, as Tohru waved goodbye to them all with a happy smile on her face and headed out the front door, careful to maneuver around Kyo and Kagura, waved at Kyo, and started her walk to Uo's house.

"Come on you two, time to get going!" he said, pushing Ritsu out the door as Haru got up and walked behind them.

Stopping at the door, Haru turned around to look at Yuki, who was still kneeling on the floor facing away from him. Haru certainly wasn't going to pass up the chance for being alone with Yuki for the whole weekend, _especially in a Hotspring all alone_ added his Black side, but he ignored that…for now.

"It should be nice," Haru said gently, "Winter is always the best time to go to Hotsprings."

If Haru could have seen Yuki's face at that moment, he would have seen a look of conflict on the young man's face. It was like Yuki had been split into three. One third of him wanted to go to the Hotsprings for the simple fact that Haru was right, winter is the best time to go, they are very relaxing after all, and with all the stuff that had happened this week he could do with it too. Another third of him was point bluntly refusing to go, dreading what may happen with Haru there, what Haru may try with him, and also scared of what he himself may give it too. And the final third of him, to which he still couldn't really believe a part of him was thinking, was that he wanted desperately to go to the Hotsprings just so he could be with Haru, with no one else around to ridicule them or tease them.

As he sat there, weighing out the possibilities, he slowly got up after a while and turned around.

"Okay," he said softly, "Let's go then."

Haru watched him softly for a moment before smiling gently, turning around and walking through the door. Yuki watched his back as the door slowly slid back shut, not quite shutting and leaving about an inch left of the outside world to see. Well, two thirds of him wanted to go the Hotsprings for one reason or another, so it out weighed the nervousness.

Looks like this was going to be an interesting weekend, and Yuki wondered if, by the time they returned, if anything was going to be…different.

"Wha…where are you all going?!" Kyo said half terrified, with Kagura hanging off his back as he watched Shigure, Ritsu and Haru walk out into the forest, Yuki not to far behind.

"Don't fret dear Kyo, I'll be back in a minute." Shigure said, before winking and disappearing into the trees.

As Yuki walked on behind, coming out to the coach waiting for them in the road, reality suddenly hit him. He really was going to spend an _entire_ weekend alone with Haru in a Hotspring, and he had willingly agreed to it! He wouldn't be able to get out of this now.

"Come on, everyone who's coming get on, the guests'll start complaining if I'm any later." Said the driver, as Haru stepped on board to their private coach, Ritsu clambering on board the other side next to the driver.

Yuki stood looking up at white vehicle that was either going to take him into a nightmare, or take him to a dream he had only ever had once before. Shigure watched Yuki silently, as the younger zodiac finally made his way onto the coach, whose doors swung shut, starting them off on their journey.

"Behave and have fun!" he shouted out, as Yuki glared at him through one of the windows as the coach headed down the road and out of sight.

"Behave? With us around?"

Shigure smiled and didn't even need to turn around as Ayame walked up behind him, having stepped out of the cab that was hiding round the corner.

"So, ready to play Cupid?" Shigure asked, looking over at his friend who flicked a stray piece of hair out of his eyes.

"But of course! Bags are packed and waiting!" Ayame exclaimed, "I can't imagine why I didn't think of this earlier."

"Is the cab okay to wait for a moment before we head off after them?"

"Yes he said he'd wait for us. Oh, has Kagura arrived?"

"Oh yes, she's here." Shigure said as they started walking back to the house, as a sudden shrill of terror came from the house, which sounded a lot like Kyo.

"I wonder how Kyo is going to take it when we tell him he's going to be alone with Kagura for the whole weekend." Ayame pondered rather innocently.

Shigure could do nothing but laugh.

-----

Hatori sat back in his chair and frowned, _where on earth has Ayame gone?_ He had tried calling his shop several times, and had just gone to his home to find it empty.

"Hi Hari'!" came the cheerful bunny voice from the door, "Aya came round and asked me to give you this." Momiji said happily, bouncing into the room and giving Hatori a note.

"Thank you." Hatori said in return, and opened the note. As he read the note left by the creative clothes designer, Momiji watched as Hatori's expression changed from serious to downright astounded. "He…he…" Hatori's eye were wide in fear for Yuki, before he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, "When this involves Kyo it is not a good idea to ask Kagura." He said to himself, just imagining the look of ecstatic happiness on Kagura's face when Ayame asked her if it was okay for her to stay with Kyo if they arranged Yuki and Haru to be away, "I meant for you to ask _me_ if you want to do something good for Yuki."

Momiji watched the older Sohma as he put the note in one of his desk draws, before walking out the room. Wondering what Ayame was up to, Momiji was really blissfully unaware of Shigure and Ayame's plans, because for Haru and Yuki, the fun is only just beginning.

To Be Continued…


	20. Wine Stunt

Thanks to my reviewers!

**frustratedneko** - …………okay, you're scary lol

**HappyGlow**– Heheh, this weekend is the reason for this whole fanfic!

**Mrs Wood** – LOL Oh man I never noticed that but that sentence didn't upload properly (one of many that didn't upload properly but I guess I missed that one). It was supposed to be 'asked Haru, standing outside the door, placing his palm against it.' Rather than 'asked Haru the door, placing his palm against it.' Lol So no, Haru is not a door!

**Gia** – I'm so glad I've finally got to this weekend, lots a luvin' and hopefully very funny scenes to come!

**Baka**** Ichigo Neko** – lol yeah, I've gone on so much about this 'scene', knowing my luck when I get round to writing it you'll all probably think it's really lame. Oh well, Que sera sera, as Shigure says :)

**C-chan** – Mwhahaa! I know, I'm mean with my teasing, hehe!

**D&G**

**Serpencencia** – lol not at all! The more reviews the merrier! Thank you for reading! :)

**Chiharu-Chan**

**------**

**Chapter 20: Wine Stunt**

There was something strangely hypnotic, staring out the window of a fast moving vehicle, watching the blur of green shrubbery, white snow, and the looming darkness of night merge into one as you loose yourself in thoughts.

Or in Yuki's case, trying to think of _anything_ but where he was heading.

The coach he and Haru were traveling to the Hotsprings in was the same one he, Tohru, Momiji and Kyo had traveled in before on White Day. Although with the amount of snow outside as they climbed the higher altitude, it was White Day for all a different reason. Out of the entire coach, every single empty seat that could possibly have been occupied, Haru had chosen to sit right next to Yuki on his right, crossed legged and leaning back with his arms behind his head, seemingly staring up to the ceiling with a placid expression. Yuki was so nervous now. The closer he got, the more vivid things he started to imagine. But no, he should stop, there was bound to be other people at the Hotsprings this time of year anyway, they wouldn't be alone. Yuki glanced at Haru and quickly went back to staring out the window. Once again Haru had proved to be the calmest person this planet had seen.

At least, that's the impression he gave. Inwardly, Haru had never been so excited! An entire weekend of nothing but Yuki, steaming water, and short white towels.

Well, he hoped they were short anyway…or maybe even _no_ towels?

He slowly looked over at his companion staring out the window, his chin resting on his hand as he lent against the glass, looking lost in thought and unaware of the admiration he was getting at that moment. For once, Shigure did something right, and he would have to remember to get him something as a thank you.

As the road became bumpier as they drove higher into the wilderness, the comfortable silence for Haru and the unbearable silence for Yuki was suddenly interrupted as they both jumped in surprise when a sudden and quick burst of music exploded inside the coach, before they were greeted with silence once again. Up ahead where the driver was, there was a faint "I'M SOORRRYY!!" that managed to seep its way through the wall between the two compartments.

Both Yuki and Haru looked at each other as they imagined Ritsu having a panic attack, obviously having pressed something he shouldn't have, and the driver trying to calm him down and drive at the same time, before they both felt a slight tug at there lips from smiling.

With the laughter that followed, Yuki joined Haru in that comfortable atmosphere.

-----

"This…is a nightmare." mumbled Kyo, leaning against a wall at the front of the house watching Shigure talk to an excited Kagura about watching over the house. "Not only do I have to put up with that damn rat and Haru, now they leave me alone with this maniac for two days!"

Kagura was listening intently to Shigure's instructions for looking after the house (and Kyo), and also not to destroy the house either (or Kyo). It seemed that Shigure and Ayame were going away somewhere as well, although Kyo kept the question of 'Where they may be going _together_ alone for the weekend' clear out of his mind. Ayame stood to one side wrapped up in a white fur coat to keep him from transforming, and looked more like a fluffy white snowman standing in the snow.

"You know where to find us if you need us!" Shigure said cheerfully, winking at Kagura who just giggled, all of them keeping Kyo in the dark as to where they were really going.

So, as Kagura waved goodbye to Shigure and Ayame as their cab sped off down the road, she walked back to the house where Kyo hadn't moved from to say goodbye and had climbed up to hide on the roof. She watched him from the trees as he lay there, staring up into the grey winter clouds. She smiled and took a deep breath.

"KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

------

By the time the coach finally came to a rumbling halt up at the Sohma family Hotspring, it was snowing fairly heavily outside, making the steam from the hot springs even more intense with the sudden contrast of hot and freezing. As the coach door opened for its two guests to depart from, it was Yuki who seemed to stumble out first, obviously trying to get away form the person currently trying to latch itself onto his arm.

"It's cold, can I hug you?" was Haru's simple question, as they managed to stagger off the coach before Haru grabbed Yuki from behind, pulling him close.

"Haru!" But that was Yuki's only protest, as Haru wrapped his arms around Yuki's chest keeping his arms at his sides.

"Mmmm." Haru sighed against Yuki's neck, eyes contently closed. They were finally here, and Haru wasn't going to miss a single chance to hold Yuki. Of course he wasn't cold, there was heating on the coach, but still, Yuki didn't have to know that. It was so cute as he struggled in his arms, embarrassed as the other guests that were heading home walked past them onto the coach.

"Haru?" Yuki said, seemingly distracted, "Isn't that your mother?"

Opening his eyes over Yuki's shoulder and looking in the same direction, Haru saw a woman standing amongst the steam by the entrance of the Hotsprings, her darkened profile against the soft yellow lights coming from the outside patio, talking to Ritsu's mother. The woman bowed politely, her long hair falling over her shoulders, before a faint whisper of her laughter was caught on the wind and heard by the two boys.

Haru narrowed his eyes, "No, that's not my mum." He said a little too seriously, as the woman turned around and began to walk their way, her features being obscured due to amount of steam coming from the springs. Yuki looked a little harder,

"Are you sure? She looks li—"

But before he could say another word, Haru had put one hand on his cheek and pulled Yuki's face to his left, claiming his lips in a surprise kiss. So surprising in fact, even though his eyes were wide open in shock, Yuki didn't notice the long black haired woman walk past them, glancing their way and smiling cutely at the couple, before climbing on board the coach they had just left. As soon as she was on board, Haru broke the kiss and grabbed Yuki's wrist, half dragging the stunned boy towards the entrance of the springs and away from the coach. Ritsu's mother noticed Haru and Yuki walking towards her, and saw the look on Haru's face. She was hoping the younger woman would have left before they got here, but she had always been such a chatty person, even when she knew her as a friend, that she just couldn't say a short goodbye. She could see the look of wanting to forget on the young Ox's face, he had seen her. Of course he had seen her, but this weekend wasn't for things like that, this would be a perfectly happy weekend for young Master Hatsuharu, she would stake her reputation as the Hotspring Hostess on it!!

"Ah, young Master Yuki, Master Hatsuharu!" she bowed in greeting, as a few more guests leaving the hot springs walked past her, saying a quick thank you and goodbye to the Hostess who nodded and smiled in return, before leaving on board the coach. "You are quite lucky once again young Masters, seems you have the whole hot springs to yourselves."

Yuki started at her. Alone? So much for Yuki's own self pep talk earlier, it would seem everything was against him. The busiest time of the year and Shigure had to book off the one weekend where there would be no one but the two of them. The idiot dog couldn't do a single thing right! It was all Shigure's fault….yes, Shigure's fault.

Yuki felt better now.

"One of the maids will bring your luggage, please, follow me, I'll show you to your room."

"Room? As in …as in one?" was Yuki's quick defensive and worried question, before he found himself wrapped up in a Haru hug.

-----

Shigure watched as the familiar coach passed them on their way up to the Hotsprings, "Well at least we know they got there in one piece." He commented, as Ayame snuggled down further into his fur coat as the cold started seeping in through the doors. The heating inside this cab wasn't exactly great, and everyone could do without him transforming.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" the fluffed up snake asked, leaning against his friend to try and grab some warmth.

"Personally I think it's a very good idea!" Shigure said, patting Ayame's head. "We're nearly there, don't go falling asleep on me now."

Ayame closed his eyes, but only to rest them. Somewhere in his subconscious there was a little voice that sounded a lot like a mad chibi Hatori exclaiming that he had specifically said _not_ to ask Shigure if what you are doing is correct, but the voice was so tiny, Ayame didn't even register it.

------

Well, it seemed at least one thing had gone right. There were two beds, with the sliding door in between them just like he had had with Kyo last time. Yuki ignored the tiny pushed down feeling that he was slightly disappointed that is wasn't a double bed, and proceeded to walk out onto the snow covered stone slates outside as the patio. The room he and Haru were sharing faced in the opposite direction than before, with their own private Hotspring directly in front of him. There was a small collection of rocks on the right where a small stream trickled down turning into waterfall into the spring. All around was a thick forest, dark in the night, but with Chinese lanterns that hung from one every now and then reaching right into the forest. It almost looked like fireflies as they swung in the small breeze, softly lighting up the branches around them. The snow continued to fall as the steam continued to grow. This was perfect weather for this kind of holiday, and now he was here, Yuki was actually looking forward to getting in that hot water with the snow floating down, and just relaxing. Forgetting the fan club girls, forgetting mistletoe, forgetting cameras, forgetting Kane, and most of all, forgetting Ayame!

------

Shigure and Ayame had now arrived at the Hotpsprings, the cab driver having taken their luggage and handed it over to the porter. Ayame hated this time of the year. He would transform constantly and traveling in public was a big no no in case of that very fact, but this was one time he would have to put up with it and try to keep as warm as physically possible, for his brothers sake. He and Shigure had planned this little weekend thoroughly and nothing was going to ruin this! Basically he wouldn't let Yuki leave until he was happy, and seeing how he has been around Haru meant that happy Haru. So it was his duty to make sure Yuki fell for him one way or another, and with the help of Shigure's mischievous little mind, turning him over shouldn't be a hard thing! After all, Haru already had the feelings, and very willingly showed them, but Yuki would be a more difficult one to open up to his feelings. It was a challenge, and these two of the three Musketeers enjoyed a challenge.

"'Gure, don't you think we should go to our room before they see us?" Ayame suggested rather hurriedly, starting to feel cold from standing in the snow.

Shigure grabbed one last bag from inside the cab and paid the driver, "Okay," he said, looping arms with Ayame, "Let's go!"

------

Leaving Yuki to go to their room, a part of him grinning at the word 'their', Haru made his way into the Kitchen. He wanted to ask what they would be making for dinner this evening, and if he could buy any flowers anywhere. Ever since Shigure announced they were coming here, there were so many romantic thoughts running around his head he just couldn't believe his luck that he'd be here with Yuki for two days and two nights, in the same room, with their own private hotspring, and no other guests!

"ATCHOO!"

Haru stopped midway through an open door and looked to his left to an empty corridor. _Who was that?_ He wondered, with no other guests here. Figuring it must have been one of the maids, Haru ignored it and continued through the door.

Behind the very door that was next to one Haru just walked through, Shigure bent down and picked up a pile of clothes and the white fur coat, dug around inside it and found Ayame, now in Snake form.

"Come on you, we have a mission to fulfil!" Shigure said to the snake, which slithered up one of Shigure's large sleeves of his Kimono, circling around his arm to try and get warm.

-----

Yuki glanced behind him from the porch to find Haru still hadn't returned from where ever he had disappeared to, and looked back to the hotspring. With the cold wind that was blowing the falling snow flakes around like a whirlpool in the air, that Hotspring was looking very inviting. Perhaps he could get a quick dip in before the trouble started, for he was sure to not get a single bit of peace by the time Haru got back and their weekend really began. So, grabbing a white towel from the stand at the side, doubly checking that Haru was not in the room, and slipping out of his clothes, Yuki walked up to the side of the Hotspring.

"Yuki."

And promptly jumped in with embarrassment.

"HARU!" Yuki spluttered as he attempted to sit up rather than drown under the water, "Don't sneak up on me like that!" he said, his face red with embarrassment with Haru having walked up behind him while he was…well, lack of being clothed.

As he looked up, determined to glare at the Ox, he found Haru standing on the porch with a bottle of red wine, two glasses…and a small blush on his cheeks.

He wasn't expecting to walk out onto the porch and find Yuki standing there only _holding_ a towel.

Attempting to knock that thought out of his brain before his Black side had a chance to process it, Haru smiled, "For some reason, they gave me this on the house. Fancy a drink?"

"Neither of us are old enough to drink." Yuki stated, dipping further and further into the water to try and hide himself from embarrassment.

"Yeah, well, they either forgot or didn't care. It's free, we might as well enjoy it." He said, placing the bottle and glasses on the stone porch by the side of the spring, and proceeded to unbutton his shirt perfectly calmly. Yuki on the other hand, quickly turned away, suddenly feeling hot not just from the spring.

An evening of hotsprings, wine, and, err…nakedness.

How the hell did he get into this position?

-----

Shigure sat at the back of the Kitchen with his arms crossed, looking very smug and happy as the Aya Snake curled up by an oven. Phase one was completed, the wine was on its way! Now he had to hope that Yuki would actually drink it. He played with the label he held in his lap, the label he had taken off the bottle of wine he had given one of the maids to give Haru, which disclosed how alcoholic this particular bottle of wine really was. If Yuki knew how much he definitely wouldn't drink it! Shigure grinned in success as Aya slithered up Shigure's leg and curled up in his lap, Shigure patting his head. Now they would have to wait and see what would happen tomorrow morning. Picking Aya up, Shigure made his way back to their room. They would need a good nights sleep to prepare for what they had planned tomorrow, if this wine stunt didn't work first anyway.

-----

"EAT--IT!" came Kagura's dangerous voice, as she backed Kyo up into a corner of the room, menacingly holding on a pair of chopsticks out in front of her which held a mouthful of stewed leeks.

Kyo stared disgusted at the food being shoved towards him and looked towards the door, _WHEN ARE THEY COMING HOME!!??_

To Be Continued…

AN: I'm off on holiday now! (unfortunately not to join Yuki and Haru in the hotsprings). Not actually going anywhere exciting just takening a break from work, but unfortunately as my computer won't upload stuff from home, it will be about 2 weeks before I can upload the next chapter at work (unless in the mean time I can figure out what the hell is wrong with it at home). I know it's long, but hey, at least I'm warning you this time :)


	21. Drunken Mind

**AN:** OMG how many reviews did I get for that chapter!!! (squeals with happiness!) THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! This has like, doubled my previous record for reviews, I'M SO HAPPY!!!

**Morbid Flower** – Oh wow I would be so totally honoured if you want my story on your site!!!! YEY!!!! Go ahead, it's fine with me!! :):):):):) THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Oh and a note to everyone, if you do want to put this up on your site, go right ahead! I'd be so happy to think that it was good enough! :)

**Minnermon** – (evil cackle) Shigure and Ayame are up to many many things, lol and yes, poor Yuki, everyone picks on him! Hehehe! I'm so evil, especially to Kyo HA HA!

**DarkangelWings** – hehe, everyone's saying poor Yuki! (nods in agreement), yep, the poor boy has NO idea what I'm going to put him through in the next chapters. Hehe!

**Nivell**

**Gia** – Sorry you all had to wait so long! (bows in apology)

**Serpencencia**

**Hakudoshi-chan**

**LittleDarkOne**

**Mia Ichiro**

**Backlash**

**anonymouslyLabled** – Black Haru will arrive once again, you'll just have to wait until the right moment (or momentS as it may be ;))

**Hakudoshi-chan**– I just re-read that chapter after reading your fic, and you know I didn't even realise that Shigure and Ayame do seem a little closer than usual. Oh well, take it which every way you like, hehe!

**D&G** – LOL Yum. Very yummy indeed.

**Zenith White Storm**

**The Laer **– Wow, thank you very much! Even got a Yuki/Kyo fan going huh? Hehehe

**Flames Afire**

-----

AN: I'm not entirely sure, but this may be border line on an R rating, I have no sense on ratings so if you think it should be higher please say! I don't wanna get chucked off !!

**------**

**Chapter 21: Drunken Mind**

_Perhaps this was a good thing, _Yuki thought to himself, as he downed his third glass of red wine.

It would seem his strategy was to drink as much as possible and hopefully pass out before anything could happened. Haru watched him both slightly worried and slightly amused at the rate Yuki was pouring out glass after glass of wine, as Haru still sipped at his first glass. The poor boy was obviously nervous, and that made a part of Haru strangely proud he could make Yuki so flustered even though he hadn't done anything to him.

Well…yet.

"What are you…looking at?" Yuki stuttered slightly. He had never been drunk before, heck the one time Shigure had made him try Sakae he took one sip and decided it was completely disgusting.

Haru took another sip of his half full glass, "Nothing," he replied, as Yuki glared at him before leaning back and closing his eyes, letting the hot water lap at his body.

Yuki lay there in the warmth of the spring feeling very strange. Suddenly he had forgotten why he was drinking. He had a plan, or at least, he thought he did. Looking at Haru then, he had an unfamiliar feeling arise within him at the way Haru was staring at him. Knowing that someone was staring at him like that, at first made him angry, but now Yuki's clouded brain couldn't figure out why, and the only thought that appeared to come through the mess,

Was that he rather liked being looked at like that by Haru.

Haru swallowed rather loudly at the picture before him. Yuki's head was tipped slightly back against the rock, exposing his long delicate neck. The water droplets ran down over his exposed chest, falling back into the water lapping hungrily just above his navel, while his skin glistened through the steam.

Haru took one look at the wine left in his glass and put it back on the rock.

If he was to get drunk, who knows what his Black Side would get up to with this body lying out in front of him. Besides, it would seem he may have to ensure Yuki would be alright, and to make sure to drag him out of the hotspring before he passed out under the water.

Which would not be a good thing.

Then again, perhaps his White side would have done 'something' anyway. For looking at Yuki now, guard down and completely vulnerable, his White side was currently agreeing with any and all thoughts made by his Black side. Haru shook his head to himself, there was no way in hell he'd ever do anything like that to Yuki, no matter how much of an opportunity would arise, he'd never win him like that. So, drowning the small amount of alcohol he had consumed and pushing it as far away from his brain as possible, Haru sat there in the water trying not to think of any thoughts he shouldn't be thinking of, and decided he was currently staring dreamily at Yuki _only_ to make sure he didn't suddenly disappear under the water.

"Haru."

Haru suddenly realised that Yuki was staring back at him, and his eyes widened a little, "Yeah?" he attempted to speak calmly.

Yuki sensually sipped at his fourth glass of wine, his eyes never leaving Haru's, and with the drunken glaze that was over them, almost seemed like he was suggesting something. He deliberately removed the glass so slowly from his lips it almost looked like he was kissing it, and Haru had suddenly noticed his heart seemed to have stopped beating.

"Haru." Yuki repeated, placing his glass back on the rock and shifting through the water towards him.

Haru sat there rigid and frozen to where he sat, as Yuki half swam and half crawled towards him, using the wall of rocks to support him. Over Yuki's shoulder Haru noticed that the towel that _was_ around Yuki's waist now lay crumpled up half in the water, and Haru automatically attempted _not_ to look downwards and simply looked Yuki straight in the eye as he slid up beside him, an unfamiliar drunken smirk on his lips.

Haru frowned softly, "Are you okay Yuki--Ahh!"

Haru suddenly found Yuki's arms draped around his neck, looking into his sparkling jeweled eyes barely two inches away from his own.

"You must get really annoyed at how I act towards you." Yuki breathed, his voice fairly low for him, which held a hint of teasing, as he attempted to kneel one knee in between Haru's legs. Haru tried to keep his expressions fairly neutral, he didn't want to provoke any un-wanted (well, actually wanted but not like this) actions on Yuki's half. He stayed perfectly still. "All the times you've been so close like this," Yuki continued, now moving his head to Haru's right shoulder, pushing their bodies as close as possible, his arms moving slowly down Haru's before wrapping them around his chest, keeping his arms by his sides. "I've never told you but," he moved his mouth right next to Haru's ear and whispered, "I wanted to be this close too."

_Okay,_ Haru's White side decided to interject, _Better__ get him off you before YOU do something you shouldn't._

"As much as I'd really love to believe that….you're drunk, and you don't know what you're saying."

"Of course I do," Yuki persisted, as he moved to kiss the side of Haru's neck.

_DEFINITELY time to get him off!!!!! _flustered his White side, which was currently battling off a drooling Black mode.

"Err Yuki," Haru began to panic, realising that believing what Yuki was saying or not apparently had no reaction to certain parts of his own body, as his heart rate suddenly shot up a few notches. He tried to raise his arms to push Yuki off of him only to find that he still couldn't move them as he was trapped underneath Yuki's full body contact hug.

As Yuki began to run his lips up Haru's neck and over his jawline, heading for his own lips, Haru was finding it incredibly difficult to resist the boy clinging to him and practically begging for all the love Haru desperately wanted to give him. As he found Yuki's lips so close to his, Haru's eyes unwillingly closed, wanting this so badly, but at the same time knowing it really wasn't Yuki, as such, that had currently placed his lips over his own.

"OH MY!"

Haru moved his head back so fast he hit the rock behind him, "Ouuch!" he cringed, raising an arm to rub the back of his head, suddenly noticing that Yuki had released his love grip hug and now simply rested his head back on Haru's shoulder. Haru finally looked to his left to see one of the young maidens of the hotsping kneeling by the door, a blush on her cheeks at what she thought she had just walked in on.

"Umm, I," she looked away at the floor embarrassed, "When the young masters are ready, dinner has been served for you."

"Thanks." Haru replied, as the maid quickly shut the door to the two boys, leaving Haru's heart rate to regain its normal speed, thanking the girl for coming in at that point.

He didn't know he would really have done if she hadn't.

"I know what you want me to do." Haru turned back to Yuki, who Haru noticed was now more leaning on him than actually hugging him, and watched as Yuki leaned back a little bit to look at him properly. "I know….what you want." He slurred, before suddenly dropping to Haru's waist.

"WHOA!" Haru's eyes shot open wide as his heart practically beat itself out of his chest, "YUKI WHAT ARE YOU---!"

_YEEEEEEEHAAAAAA_ came Haru's Black side, as it raced forward only to be stopped at the last moment a half beaten White, _WAIT!_ it screamed at the struggling Black, as Haru's arms leapt forward at their own accord to stop Yuki, before noticing that he was…

"Asleep?"

It would seem Yuki had fallen only because he was now out unconscious from the wine, his head now cradled in Haru's arms just above the water level. Haru found himself letting out a small sigh of relief, and scolded himself for even _thinking_ that Yuki would do anything like 'that' when they're not together, drunk or not!

Dragging him up out the water, impressed with himself that he was resisting the urge to look further down the body he was holding, and carried the unresponsive Yuki back to their room (Haru grinned again at the 'their'). Slowly placing him down on Yuki's bed, Haru brought the blankets up around him and sat down at the edge of the bed.

He may not have drunk that much, but with the rate Yuki was gulping that wine down, it wasn't a surprise this had happened, and considering he had never drunk before anyway, it was almost inevitable. As Yuki lay there lost in a deep sleep, his cheeks rosy from the alcohol, Haru suddenly realised something.

He had put him in bed still soaking wet from the springs.

"I only had half a glass and even I'm not thinking straight." He said to himself, placing his hand on his forehead.

Haru got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom only to find no towels. Thinking he'd better go and find some, he suddenly stopped at the door realising he was thinking of rubbing Yuki down with one of these towels.

Completely unclothed.

Well, he didn't want him to get a cold, especially not this weekend of all.

So, pleading to the White to keep the Black at bay just for a little while longer, Haru dumped the wet towel around his waist in the bath, grabbed some shorts and a loose t-shirt, headed out of their bedroom through the dining area where their dinner awaited, and down to reception to ask for some towels and a jug of water, two things that Yuki was going to need.

------

"Nghh." Escaped the incoherent mumble from Yuki, as he turned over on his side only to fall off the bed.

------

Shigure switched off the bathroom light and yawned, stretching his arms out in front of him. Walking past Ayame, who was already fast asleep curled up warmly in his bed, Shigure walked up to their room's door intending to lock it. He stopped however when he heard footsteps the other side. Waiting till they had passed, Shigure slowly slid back the door just a little bit and peered round the corner. At the end of the corridor he saw Haru, looking down two opposing corridors, obviously confused on where to go, before somehow deciding to go down the one on his right.

Shigure smirked disturbingly evilly.

Time to visit the Kitchen once again.

-----

Groaning almost as if he was in pain, Yuki attempted to grab hold of the side of the bed to pull himself up from the floor. Kneeling leaning against it, Yuki opened his tired and glazed eyes to find the entire room spinning, and Haru nowhere in sight.

-----

Shigure slid up against the wall and peered around the corner to see the door to Yuki and Haru's room. Feeling into his pocket, he brought of the Master Key that Ritsu's mother had given him when they arrived. She was all in on the plan and had promised to help them as much as she could.

-----

Having only been asleep for around 10 minutes, Yuki was still as drunk and as, ahem, 'loving', as he had been in the Hotspring, and his target for this was currently not in the room. Frowning drunkenly and using the wall to help him stand up, Yuki wobbled over to the other side of the room, and again using the wall to help him walk, headed over to the door.

After three attempts at actually aiming for the door slot, Yuki managed to slid open the door and, upon realising there was no longer any door to lean on, fell straight through it.

-----

"There you go Master Haru, I do apologise for not fitting your room with towels." The Hotspring Hostess said, standing behind a reception desk fanning herself after a bout of "I'M SORRY"'s screamed at Haru.

"Err, yeah, thanks." Haru replied, carrying the pile of towels away.

------

Shigure was just about to tiptoe around the corner towards Yuki and Haru's room when Yuki had suddenly came stumbling out of it, and Shigure flew back round the corner like a small boy trying to hide after stealing cookies. He watched as Yuki picked himself up from the floor and stumbled along the corridor, either planned, although with how drunk he was possibly by coincidence, in the same direction Haru would have gone. It was very funny to see Yuki of all people looking like this,

Especially as he still naked.

------

With one arm holding towels, and the other a jug of water he had just obtained from the Kitchens, Haru wandered down what he hoped was the corridor he had walked down before back to their room. Turning round one corner,

"Heeeeey."

Before Haru could even register what he was looking at, the jug of water was pushed out of his arms and replaced with a very unstable Yuki who stumbled into his arms and leant on him completely, trying to pass it off as a hug.

"You disappeared on me!" Yuki drawled, going back to his previous endeavor of kissing up Haru's neck.

"Yuki, what are you doing out here….like this?" he said surprised, hoping that no one would walk down this corridor for Yuki's sake. With a bundle of towels in one arm and Yuki in the other, with all of his weight practically leaning on him, Haru was finding himself loosing balance and desperately tried to maneuver them away from the broken glass on the floor from the jug, and managed to fall back against the wall a few steps behind.

"Haaruu." Yuki whined, starting to slip downwards to the floor, but Haru managed to get one arm underneath him and stopped him from falling down completely.

With his one free arm Haru flipped the towels over his shoulder, taking one, and wrapping it around Yuki's shoulders, who was now somehow standing on his own unsteadily still staring at Haru. As the towel fell around his shoulders and Haru made sure that, everything, was at least out of sight, Yuki fell back into his arms.

"I like hugging you." He said, closing his eyes against Haru's chest as he attempted to snuggle closer only to stumble on his own feet and fall over dragging Haru down with him.

-----

Now with Yuki out of sight, and Shigure finally able to set free the burst of laughter he had been trying to conceal, he walked over to Yuki and Haru's room door and opened it with the Master Key. Walking inside, he looked over to the meals set out for them on the low table. Kneeling down, he brought out a tiny oval shaped bottle from within his Kimono and poured the clear liquid within it into Haru's glass, which looked like it contained Orange.

Sitting back on his heels, Shigure grinned, "Heheh, undetectable to the human nose and tongue, Magnificent Shigure's ™ Love Potion!"

Ok, so it was only a triple strength Sakae, but with the few specially added ingredients to hide the smell and taste, one small bottle of this drunk quickly could get you just drunk enough to make things…interesting.

-----

Haru half dragged Yuki along beside him, still clinging to him like a limpet, and finally got back to their room. Fondling with the set of keys in one hand to unlock the door, as he kept his other arm around Yuki to stop him from collapsing, Haru finally managed to get back inside. Hauling Yuki back off to his bed, he tried to lay him down but Yuki refused to let go, "Stay, stay, stay, stay." He kept on repeating, it was almost like he was delirious. But as soon as Yuki's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light, although his hand still clung to Haru's sleeve. Prying his hand away, Haru sat down back on his own bed exhausted and lay back with his arms splayed out beside him.

So he had got lost on the way back while dragging Yuki around with him too.

Sighing, he looked over at Yuki, his hand hanging over the side of the bed out cold. A small blush began to form on Haru cheeks as he smiled gently. Who needed to rub Yuki dry from the Hotsprings, when with the way he was up against him all the time trying to walk, it was Haru who was now damp with the water. His thoughts of a naked, wet Yuki were unfortunately quickly subsided as his stomach growled.

Jumping up from the bed, Haru wandered over to the meal set out for them. He would save some for Yuki if he woke up, and would go and get that Jug of water later. Right now, he was hungry. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he reached for his cup.

-----

Haru felt very peculiar.

It had turned out he wasn't as hungry as he thought, perhaps that was why he was feeling dizzy? Lack of food perhaps? He had been very thirsty though. Standing up form the floor, just before stumbling a little and grabbing the table to push himself up, Haru looked towards the two doors to their bedroom. _Two?__ I thought there was only one door?.......oh well._ Walking, or more like swaying, over to one of these supposed doors, he found they merged into one as he got closer. Frowning in what would seem was a deliberate annoyance, Haru reached for the door and pulled it aside. Yuki was still fast asleep, but he had been moving around in the bed because the covers where now pushed half way down his chest. Haru stared at him, grabbing on to the doorframe as he felt himself starting to sway a little too much to one side.

Yuki looked….delicious.

Making his way over to Yuki's bed, Haru plopped down at the end and crawled his way up to the top, over Yuki. Laying down at one side, with Yuki's back towards him as he was half falling off the bed again, Haru wrapped one arm around his chest and pulled him away from the edge, making him turn around to face him.

"Mmmm?" Yuki's eyes slowly opened to find Haru's blurry face near right next to his.

Haru stared at him lustfully, tracing his jawline with his thumb, and leant in to kiss him.

Whatever was going on in Yuki's drunken mind, it wasn't anything along the lines of stopping, because whether he realised it or not, Yuki had wrapped his arms around Haru and began to kiss him back, not pulling away when Haru's hand began to roam further down his back.

To Be Continued…

AN: ARH! WHAT'S HARU DOING!? (once again the evil cackle makes an appearance). Hehe, what will the outcome of this be hmm?


	22. Red Rose

**AN:** The shook and horror reviews I got from that chapter, lol made me laugh! So thanks to you all! OMG SO MANY!! The most so far!

**Hakudoshi-chan** – lol That was my favourite part cos when I wrote that I wrote it imaging your reactions without truly knowing what he was really about to do, hehe!

**Chiharu-Chan** – I wasn't sure how people would react to a chapter like that, luckily all of the reviews have been good, and apparently like you, waiting for it to happen lol

**Soul Catcher -** YEY! YOU REVIEWED YOU REVIEWED!! Miss 'I won't review till it's all over', I MADE YOU REVIEW! MWHAHAHAAA!

**The Laer** – LOL - 'hot...cute...sexy..naked...guys..(drool)'. I couldn't have put it better myself!

**I lov Redheads w/ Fangs** – Ah! As soon as I read your pen name my first thought was "You must like Tasuki" so checked your profile and waddya know! Tasuki's cool, me like him. Anyway, onto your review, YEY! Now I've got a Kyo/Haru fan addicted, me doing well! I'm gradually turning everyone over HAHAHA!

**Antidemonslayer** – Thank you!!

**anonymouslyLabled** – All we need now is strawberries and cream……...heeeeyy ):)……

**varda101** – lol I don't think I thought it would either! Just think I wrote most of that chapter at work, what kind of mood was _I_ in? lol

**C-chan** – (struggles against her handcuffs) LET ME GO! OR I'LL WRITE ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER LIKE THAT ONE! HAHAHAHA!

**Koyuki** – Ah ha! It is indeed! The way Haru's taking it it's as thought Yuki doesn't know what he's saying, but really, this is what Yuki is really feeling, he of course is just to drunk to realise he's letting it all show.

**Madame Wood** – LOL Heeeeeyy. AW!

**Serpencencia** – YES! It's pervy plot fiends I was worried about cos I know there are some people reading this who aren't big yaoi fans but were enjoying what I had done so far, I was hoping it wouldn't cross the line. But if you are like how you're saying then YEY! I guess I didn't cross the line (at least too much hehe).

**D&G** – lol Hyperventilating huh? I think I may join you; it's a nice scene isn't it? :)-

**riversprite77** – LOL You sound so worried! Ah well, we will have to see what they really got up to won't we? evil cackle once again returns

**DarkangelWings** – Oh don't worry, Yuki only had the wine, Haru had the Sakae. There is only one time that I have gotten seriously drunk and that is what Yuki has drunk so I'm basing it on that, even the way he was drinking it, really fast and no food. Even so I never got sick afterwards, and I'm sure you wanted to know that, hehe! (and lets never speak of my work's xmas party again!)

**neuroticsquirrel** - LMAO! Now that would be interesting! And I dunno about the whole Ayame/Shigure pairing, I've never seen them as a couple as such, just the whole flirting thing (although that doesn't mean it's a well cute thought!). I don't think I will though, I'm trying to keep this as real to the anime/manga as possible (she says after writing the last chapter hehe) so I don't think so, just the usual stuff, besides, this is Haru and Yuki only territory hehe.

**kaesaku** – Aw no, don't cry I'll update for you!!! And yes lol I am evil.

**Segreverie** – Oooo, I'm honoured! :)

**foxgrl991** – LMAO Paperclip wrath?! The evil paperclips attack!

**Gia** – Oh I always think I take to long, maybe it's me being paranoid hehe.

**K. A. Maples** – Oh wow thank you!! Lol So far, we have a Yuki plusie, a stuffed rat, a photo, and a drawing as guesses for Haru's item, anyone else want to add a guess?

------

**AN:** OMG OMG OMG OMG!! WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO MY POOR GRAVITATION!! English dub shudder, I physically cried when I heard Yuki's voice, it's SO bad!!! :(,,,,, My all time favourite anime had been tarnished (sorry, but as wonderful as Fruits Basket is, Gravitation will ALWAYS rule the charts in my heart. hehe.)

Anyway, sorry this one did take 2 weeks after all but my Boss, the head president of the company himself, came over from the U.S all this week so I couldn't write my story at work like I usually do. So now I've used up like 2 pages for thanks you's, I'll get on with the story you've been waiting for! ;)

------

**Chapter 22: Red Rose**

Whatever it was, it had been a nice feeling. Whatever the dream had been, he liked the feeling it gave him as he was slowly drawn back into the conscious world. He hadn't felt this feeling before, he felt, contented, sleepily happy as he lay there underneath the covers of his bed, snugly warm. As the light from the outside world gradually made its way under his eyelids, there was another feeling that found its way to the surface.

Yuki had never felt so sick in his entire life.

And what a headache!!

Opening his eyes into direct sunlight was the not the brightest, ok, well actually it was _painfully_ bright, but not the cleverest idea on the planet. Yuki buried his head into his pillow to try to stop his head from spinning, as one hand fumbled with the set of draws by the bed to find a clock. Grabbing hold of it and peaking at it through one eye, he found it was 11.15 in the morning. Placing the clock back down on the polished wood, Yuki's arm flopped back down useless over the side of the bed as he lay there on his front, telling himself to get up but his body not complying. That nice, comfy, warm and happy feeling he had woken up with had now completely disappeared. His head felt like it was going to explode, the rest of his body just seemed to be drained from energy, everything seemed to ache, and had now just realised he was incredibly thirsty, and hungry. Ever so slowly crawling out of bed, Yuki sat up on the edge and held his head in his hands, shielding his eyes from the winter morning sun disturbing his clouded mind. Gradually making his way over to the wardrobe, he pulled out a white towel dressing gown that came with the room for its guests, and wandered over to the door of the room, still holding his aching head in one hand, and sliding back the door with the other. On the table in the middle of the room it would seem an untouched breakfast was waiting. _Untouched? _Yuki looked back to the bedroom, to his own empty bed, and apparently, to Haru's empty bed too. Not only was it empty, but it looked as though it hadn't been slept in at all, with the sheets still neatly folded as they were the night before.

Argh, the night before.

Half kneeling and half collapsing down on the floor in front of the table, Yuki reached for the jug of water that came with the breakfast and poured out a glass, drinking the whole thing in one breath. He had never done that before, he had never got drunk like that, or drunk full stop. That wasn't like him, not like him at all, why on earth did he do that?!

…..why _did_ he do that?

_ --"I know….what you want." --_

Yuki blinked. Was that…what was that? Closing his eyes, he attempted to think back to whatever he did last night, having remembered nothing expect looking across at Haru in the Hotspring and, well, that was about it. But what happened after that? Shutting his eyes even tighter, he remembered trying to move his way through the water over to Haru, and then….and then……..

…._where is Haru?_

Opening his eyes from his deep concentration, Yuki turned his head to look over his shoulder back to his room when-

Smooch!

A suddenly bright red Yuki pulled back sharply in surprise from a serenely smiling Haru who had just planted a good morning kiss on his lips.

"Haru what a-" Yuki started leaning back away from him, when suddenly he was pouncing on, bundled up in a hug lying on the floor as Haru's arms snaked around his body and he held him close, resting his head just under Yuki's chin on the towel gown covering his chest, snuggling against him. Yuki meanwhile, threw a number of muffled and nervous shouts of "Haru" at the loving Zodiac, before Haru's hands started roaming under Yuki's dressing gown. Yuki had a big enough headache without having to deal with _this_ type of Haru so early in the morning, so moved his arms up to push Haru away from him when Haru grabbed his wrists, pinned them to the floor, and kissed him again.

"Maarouu." Yuki exclaimed angrily, suddenly finding his usual early morning strength back and shoving Haru right off him, "Stop it!" Yuki demanded, managing to sit up before he was once again pounced on, knocking a little against the table, and back down on the floor. This time Haru wrapped his arms around Yuki's chest keeping his arms at his side, and lay down right on top of him, and while Yuki struggled, Haru whispered.

"I love you."

And Yuki stopped struggling.

He lay there for a minute, Haru against him quite contently, before Yuki sighed. At the back of his mind he vaguely wondered how many times Haru had said that to him, and now a new thought of how many times he had done nothing but push him away, just like he was currently trying to do, although to no avail with the way Haru was clinging to him. It seemed at first Haru had been in his Black mode, but his Black wouldn't have stopped what he was after, and now, with doing nothing but holding him, Haru seemed to be back to White again, quite happily where he was. _I love you_. Yuki didn't understand why this time that Haru had said that, and not any other time, that he felt his heart practically stop in his chest. If it had happened before, Yuki would have said he was an idiot and probably jump kicked him out the way and into his senses, but neither one of those things crossed his mind this time.

And that made him worry.

"Haru," Yuki began quietly, "What are you doing?" he said exhaustibly.

"I'm hugging the person I love most in the world." was the calm, simple and apparently obvious reply.

"I can see that. But….what are you doing?" Yuki didn't even know what he was asking.

There was a short pause before Haru pushed himself up a little from the floor on his elbows and looked directly into Yuki's rather hesitant looking eyes. Haru studied the confused face for a moment before smiling gently,

"You don't remember…last night…do you?"

Yuki eyes widened, "Last night?"

Haru smiled at him sweetly once again, "Well," he stated, jumping up from Yuki indicating the conversation had apparently ended, "I'm not very hungry this morning, so I'm just gonna go for a little walk or something."

"H-Haru-" Yuki began hurriedly, sitting up on the floor, but Haru had already walked walk out their room, closing the door behind him. Yuki glanced over at the food on the table, and although having been starving just a moment ago, had now lost his appetite.

_Remember..........._

_...... Remember **what**!?_

_------_

"Eheheheee…..hmmm, hehe, oooohh…"

Shigure, who had been up for hours, was currently browsing through a clothes rack in the laundry room of the Hotspring resort looking through the hung up maids uniforms.

"Oh my word, this one could definitely use a little touch up, it just wouldn't flatter the wearer."

As was Ayame.

Both had wandered into the laundry room looking for some kind of clothing to wear so it looked like they worked here, so as long as Yuki or Haru never actually saw their faces, it wouldn't be quite as bad if they saw them walking around if they blended in with the staff. But it would seem both of them had got distracted by the girl's uniforms, and both for different reasons.

"Hheheee."

------

_How many corridors does this place have?_ Haru pondered, as he walked through yet another door, which he hoped 7th time lucky would be the reception area.

"Oh. Can I help you?" a nervous high pitched voice sounded. Haru noticed a woman in a woolen cream shawl crouching by a pile of clothes in the room he had just walked into. She was facing away from him sorting through other shawls in a basket.

"Yeeeah. Could you tell me where the Main Entrance is I…seem to have got a bit lost."

The woman proceeded to give Haru directions, and saying thanks, headed off on his way.

The room was silent for a moment before there was a rustle of clothes at the back of the room, "That was close Shigure." Said Ayame, coming out from behind the rack of clothes he had quickly hid behind when Haru had walked in, as Shigure pulled the shawl off his back, "It was lucky you had put that on."

Shigure grinned, "I should have known Haru would wander into places he shouldn't. Aw didn't he look cute! All dazed, I wonder if last night worked after all. At least we know this disguise works."

"Yes but do we really have to walk around in those dreadful shawls, they're all so old and musty." Ayame said, disgusted at the unfashionable grey and cream coloured shawls they had found, and they were so long, they almost looked like cloaks.

"Now now Aya, this is for Yuki remember, sacrifices have to be made!"

Ayame sighed and brushed a stray piece of hair out of his eyes, "Yes I suppose you're right."

"Well, ready to get the day started?" Shigure grinned, holding out a faded blue one he had found.

"Eurrgh," Ayame complained, taking the tattered looking thing with an image of loathing, but for his brother, he would sacrifice his fashion style;

But only for one or two days!

-----

Having taking some tablets to quell the battleground of a headache, Yuki now sat, alone, confused, and cold. Not that he realised he was cold, he was more, terrified, that he couldn't remember what he did last night, or more importantly… what _they_ may have done.

_-"You don't remember…last night…do you?"-_

The look in Haru's eyes suggested that something a little more unusual may have happened that night, it was a look that said whatever had happened, Haru certainly had liked it. So now Yuki sat on a bench that faced out over the forest, with the hot spring to his right, trying to will his brain to remember what he did that made Haru go Black on him this morning and start slipping out how much he loved him again. Did he feel any different? Mentally? ….physically? Yuki shook his head to himself. No way in hell would he ever do something like that, drunk or not, there would be no way! He didn't care that you loose your senses when your drunk, that you don't realise you may say things that you don't wish others to hear, but 'that', there would be some part of him that would say no, it just would!

At least…it better have had.

Why did alcohol do these kinds of things? _How can an entire part of your memory just disappear?_ Maybe he did pass out, and that's why he couldn't remember anything. But why would Haru be happy about that? Unless he…

Yuki's eyes widened, than mentally hit himself. How could he even _think_ that Haru would…no, just empty that train of thought and pretend it never appeared. Yuki felt a stupid childish blush creep up as he thought how panicky Haru must have been if Yuki just suddenly passed out on the floor. And yet, knowing that he would be that panicky, was kind of a nice feeling. He could just see him carrying him to his bed and not leaving until he woke up, or something like that. Looking up from staring aimlessly at the snowy ground, Yuki watched a Robin at the edges of the forest, hopping its way across the green grass that had been sheltered from the snow by the thick branches of the furs trees above it. Something startled it and it flew away across the hotspring. Yuki watched it as it fluttered away when it flew over a half empty wine glass sitting on a rock by the spring.

_-"I like hugging you."-_

Yuki's eyes widened. Did he say that to Haru? A small blush began to once again appear as a very blurry memory of him practically groping Haru in the corridor outside their room flashed across his mind, and worse, he was naked with nothing but a towel!

_Oh my god…_

_WHAT THE HELL DID I DO!?_

_-----_

"KYO MY LOVE!!"

"Oh god please go away." said an exasperated Kyo.

He could deal with Kagura for a few hours, but for the whole weekend, it was going to drive him nuts. Last night he had to resort to moving a wardrobe in front of his room door to prevent her from trying to sleep in the same room, and now she was off on one of her "I love you so much why can't you understand" hyperactive speeches, and Kyo sat there staring at the wall looking much liked a cornered Kitty than a fighting lion like he usually was.

-----

"Oh of course Master Ayame, I think it's so honorable how you are helping your brother, if only all people could be as sweet and kind as you," said Ritsu's mother, using a handkerchief to wipe away the tears at the edges of her eyes.

"Well you know, haha," he said, liking the praise he was receiving, "Anything for my little brother."

"So kind." She continued, as Ayame walked away wearing the shawl and a headscarf to cover the colour of his hair.

With his usual flowing clothes underneath anyway, he did actually look like a maid girl as he pushed a small trolley down the corridor that held Yuki's and Haru's lunch, and, a special little something on the side. Those two wouldn't recognise him at all, he would make his brother finally happy or he wouldn't let him leave until he was!!

"Hhahahahahahahahahaa!"

-----

Ayame didn't knock, but tried the door to see if it was open, which it was. Peering round the corner, he saw the room empty, and through the open patio doors at the other end, could just make out Yuki sitting with his back to him on the other side of the hotspring. Pushing his trolley through, he quietly arranged the food out on the table, and brought out the special little something. It was a single, long-stemmed red rose, which Ayame placed next to Yuki's plate.

-----

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

How many times Kyo had screamed that at Kagura he had lost count. He now found himself running around the house getting away from her as she sprinted after him screaming at him to do as he was told and to let her scrub his back in the bath.

Which was not going to happen.

Running through the nearest door and sliding it shut, Kyo held it tight as Kagura continued to tug at the other end. But Kyo would not let go, and after a few minutes (actually more like 15), Kagura finally subsided, and had returned to her sweet and innocent personality.

"I know, lets have lunch first then, then I can look after you even better afterwards." She beamed, skipping off down the corridor.

Kyo let go of the door cautiously and stepped back, flopping down on the bed in exhaustion. Living with Kagura was hard work, and it hadn't even been a full 24 hours yet! Letting himself stare up at the ceiling for a moment, he suddenly realised the room he had retreated into was Yuki's, and quickly sat up. If he was going to hide from Kagura it wasn't going to be in this room! Placing his hand at the edge of the bed to get up, the felt something hard digging into his palm. Something was sticking out from underneath Yuki's pillow.

-----

Realising he was thinking way too much into what may have happened last night, Yuki returned to his room to get away from the cold and also the various scenarios his brain was coming up with. Walking in and closing the patio door behind him, he saw that lunch had been served and was all laid out neatly. Haru had still not returned from wherever he had gone, and so Yuki sat down at his place and went to pick up the chopsticks only to find a rose laying there instead. Blinking and picking it up, there was a small card attached to it which had a simple row of marks:

I ♥ Y

-----

Curious, Kyo took the item from underneath the pillow, looked at it with a raised eyebrow…

Before bursting into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

To Be Continued…

AN: Sorry if the last half of this seemed rushed, I wrote it all in like half an hour so I could upload it at work for you before the weekend as I can't upload from my computer at home. I hope it's still ok!!


	23. Too Many Things

Thanks to my reviewers!

**C-chan** - (rubs wrists to ease herself from the pain of her recently removed handcuffs) Hmm, I thought that might make you let me go. Lol It was just this image that if Ayame and Shigure were confronted with a pile of clothes, Ayame would be dissing the fashion value while Shigure would just go around giggling to himself, hehe. My friends call me a female Shigure, apparently I act just like him, hehe. Now is that a good thing or a bad thing?

**K.A. Maples -** NOOOOOO! (runs and stands with arms out stretched in front of Ayame) This is between you, and me (and every other reviewer out there). Leave the Bishies out of this!! They don't deserve that fate!!

**Jessiegurl43953** – hehe, oh the worst cliffhanger is yet to come my friend. (nervous look to above reviewer)

Kate D&G

**Koyuki** – lol I was waiting for someone to admit they might think the item may be something of that, description, even though you can't exactly describe it, hehe.

Tanci

**foxgrl991**

**anonymouslyLabled** – lol Right, to answer your questions, 1) You'll have to wait and see, 2) You'll have to wait and see, 3) You'll have to wait and see, and 4) You'll have to wait and see. That answer your questions? :)

**basketcases02** – (cackles evilly) Oh you have no idea how fun this is to see you all suffer about what that item is, MWHAHAHAAAAA!

**Serpencencia** - …………….EW!

Yankee Butterfly

**ri-chan** - Ooo, well in that case, thank you for keeping reading! :)

**------**

**AN:** If you get a chance, I TOTALLY recommend getting the four Manga's (three out so far) of 'Eerie Queerie.' I won't say anything about it cos I don't wanna ruin everything, but trust me, if you're reading this, you MUST get that, gorg guys everywhere you look! I love it!! Btw if anyone else has any recommendations for yaoi/shonen ai mangas, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!

A**AN:** Cos writing entire paragraphs in italic suck, any long flashback scenes will be like this: ((( paragraph ))).

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**Chapter 23: Too Many Things**

_So, this is what Haru had been hiding. No wonder he had turned Black on me the other day when I grabbed his bag._ Kyo thought amused, looking at Haru's secret little item he had found under Yuki's pillow (although he tried not to think about how it got there). He would have SO much fun with this when Haru got back home.

Bribery would never be so fun.

------

Yuki knelt by the table holding that single red rose, staring at the silky petals. Typical Haru, it had to be from him, well _of course_ it was from him.

_Idiot,_ he thought fondly, filling a glass up with water and placing the Rose inside it on the table. Haru could come up with the simplest but most warming gestures sometimes. One little rose from Haru felt so much more than an entire bunch of roses Kane had given him a couple of days ago. It was, cute. Yuki then found himself wondering once again where Haru had disappeared too; he was going to miss lunch. He had already missed breakfast, and he couldn't even remember if he had had dinner last night or not. Then again, he couldn't remember if he himself had had dinner or not either.

Nor anything else for that matter.

Idly picking at his food, thinking it was probably in his best interest to eat something after drinking so much so quickly, Yuki began to run through his mind once again the events of last night. He was determined to remember what Haru apparently thought was so wonderful, but had convinced himself at this point that it couldn't have been anything…that…well, he'd regret….as such.

Resting his elbow on the table with his head in his hand, eating with the other, he once again attempted to remember anything of importance.

-----

That night was most likely the best night of his life! He had never felt anything like that. The way he felt for Yuki when 'that' had happened, ohh, it sent shivers of joy down his spine!

Haru didn't want to tell Yuki what happened that night, he wanted him to remember. He didn't want Yuki to think he was putting thoughts into his mind making him think he was lying to him to make him feel they should be together. Although after last night….things should be pretty different from now on…ohh, he couldn't _wait_ for Yuki to remember!

((( Waking up to find his love wrapped up in his arms after that, it couldn't have been more perfect. Yuki's soft hair flayed on his shoulder, his lips gently pressed against Haru's chest as he slept. If heaven had existed, this was it, especially after what he had just experienced. For this wasn't a dream, it was a pure fantasy that had come true.

Well, part from the headache he seemed to have, although he wasn't quite sure why.

Today he would do anything and everything for Yuki, not that he wouldn't have done anyway, but _especially_ today. As he watched the peaceful sleeping face, Haru began to wonder if Yuki would regret what happened, he was drunk after all, but somehow, it didn't feel that had anything to do with it. As the recollections of the night returned to his mind, Haru closed his eyes in blissful memory as Yuki unconsciously hugged him a little closer in his sleep. But as unbelievably happy as Haru felt, there was still this worry that Yuki would regret what happened. Opening one eye to look down at his love, Haru bit his lip. He didn't want Yuki to regret it, he'd been waiting for that for so long. Perhaps it would be best to get up before he wakes up, at least then Haru wouldn't be in the line of fire if Yuki really was mad at him, at least first thing in the morning anyway. As much as he didn't want to, Haru slowly untangled himself from Yuki and half crawled half fell out the bed, wincing and looking up quickly at Yuki to make sure he didn't wake up, but all he did was move over a little on his back. He couldn't help it any more, but now whenever he looked at Yuki, he just wanted to giggle in happiness. Refraining from that uncharacteristic outburst, Haru made his way over to the showers to clear his mind,

And to make sure the water was cold.

Unfortunately, no matter how cold the shower was, it couldn't stop his mind wandering to certain images, and by the time he came out, he was very close on the edge of his Black personality showing. It would be okay though as long as he didn't see Yuki, at least, that had been his thought until he walked out the door to see Yuki sitting with his back towards him looking all tired and cute. )))

It was because of this little flashback Haru now found himself staring dazed at a wall, while the woman behind the counter he was standing in front of looked at him perplexed, as she handed him the change for the small box he had purchased from the little resort shop.

------

Having eaten his lunch, and remembering nothing more about the night before, Yuki decided he would have to go and look for Haru. With the length of time he was gone he had to have gotten lost, and besides, he left this rose here for him not so long ago, so he couldn't be too far away.

-----

Shigure was humming away innocently as he waxed the wooden floor at the end of the corridor outside Yuki and Haru's room, plan in mind and hands at work. That rose should get Yuki curious enough to go and look for Haru, right about…

Now.

As if on cue, Shigure watched through the corner of his eye, his face shielded by a headscarf and his shawl covering his body looking like a normal servant of the springs, as Yuki began to walk towards him. Placing the waxer and bucket inside a storage cupboard, Shigure walked across the adjourning corridor to see Haru walking the other way.

This couldn't have been more perfect if he had planned it!

Well, he _had_ planned it, but that wasn't the point.

Crouching a little lower to make him seem shorter, Shigure pulled his headscarf a little more over his face and nodded politely as 'she' walked past Haru. Haru however was paying no attention to the disguised Shigure, as he walked hurriedly back to his room to give Yuki the present he had bought him. It wasn't much, but having noticed it on the way in, he wanted to get it, just a silly little present really.

"YAHHH!"

Haru had just walked round the corner to the corridor that led to their room, when in a flash he saw Yuki suddenly skidding towards him on a strangely very shiny floor, banging straight into him making them fall both through the door that was behind Haru. Trying to grab onto the doorframe to stop them from falling didn't work, and Yuki only managed to somehow flip them round so he was falling down first. With arms a tangled from sliding straight onto Haru, the back of Yuki's heal hit against something and he toppled backwards, bringing Haru down with him.

_- "Yuki had wrapped his arms around Haru and began to kiss him back, not pulling away when Haru's hand began to roam further down his back." - _

"What the…?" Yuki breathed softly, wide-eyed as that memory flashed across his mind as he fell to the floor with Haru right on top of him.

Squelch.

_…………………………Squelch?_

Both boys looked around them and realised they had fallen into something warm, thick…and strangely brown.

"Urgh, what…?" Haru began, pulling his arm heavily out of this strange sticky stuff that Yuki was half buried in being the one who had fallen in first, "This is—"

"Ah welcome!" came a friendly female voice, as a young woman in a deep red flowery kimono walked towards them.

-----

"Mud baths?!" Ayame squealed, as he placed a two tall, fiery red candles near the door out to the hotspring in Yuki and Haru's bedroom.

"Of course! They'll be busy in there for a while which will give us a chance to touch up this room with a bit of Shigure magic." Shigure finished, arranging a mix of red and white roses in one corner of the room, "Set the mood, see the emotion," he stated proudly.

------

He had never had what people would call a 'normal' life to begin with. Not only did he have the joy of being cursed for the rest of existence, but Yuki had to put up with an obsessive Akito, obsessive fangirls, and now an obsessive Haru, although admittedly out of all of them he could put up with Haru. So out of all of these strange things that had already happened in his short life, he found himself wondering why these things always happened to _him_, as he sat up to his shoulders in, one way or another, an apparently soothing mud as the young lady who seemed to be in charge of these baths was making up some concoction at the back of the room near a massage table. It was more like a mud_spring_ it was so big, but inside away from the cold. He tried not to think about the fact he was sitting in a giant bath of mud, but instead focused on the fact that this was a proper cleansing, pampering facility and closed his eyes, forcing his brain to relax and just enjoy it.

At least he would have been able to if Haru hadn't moved another few feet towards him from the other end of bath.

Peering through one eye, he kept an every ready watch on the black and white haired boy as he moved closer again, trying to look inconspicuous as he just stared up at the ceiling and moved unknowingly under the mud instead.

Yuki closed his eyes, there was no stopping him on trying to stay close. So as Yuki didn't seem to be making any attempt to move, Haru slid right up next to him. He looked at Yuki for a moment, who knew Haru was staring at him but didn't open his eyes anyway. If he opened his eyes he'd have to acknowledge to most likely loveable look in Haru's eyes that he always has.

"Yuki?"

"Mmm?"

Yuki's eyes snapped open as Haru suddenly tapped a finger on his nose leaving a small mud patch on the very tip. Haru just grinned cutely as Yuki raised his arm to rub it off when of course his arm was covered in mud too, so instead gave up and closed his eyes again, sighing softly.

Haru watched him again, sensing that sigh had more of an annoyed tone to it, "What's wrong?" he asked.

Yuki just sighed again and tried to turn away a little from Haru who was shoulder to shoulder with him. He opened his eyes looking down at the mud, not wanting to look at Haru, "Haru…what happened last night?"

That memory that had arisen when they had first fallen into this room was bugging him. It was like his own brain was teasing him with images of what may have happened, and was laughing at him for not being able to remember. He was getting very annoyed at himself for not remembering, and was curious, and yet scared to really know. But this was ridiculous; surely he should have been able to remember by now. He wanted to know, he needed to know what so special about that night, why Haru was acting so adoringly today. Well not that he doesn't every day it would seem, but even more so now. He looked back towards Haru when he didn't answer, only to suddenly find him holding a towel he had obviously reached for behind on the decking. Taking one edge, he gently wiped the small bit of mud off Yuki's nose and smiled,

"I want you to remember."

"Well I _don't_." Yuki snapped back, agitated at himself rather than Haru, but Haru didn't see that because his smile faded away. Yuki saw this and was quick to apologise, "I'm not angry at you Haru, I just…I just don't understand why I can't remember. Please tell me."

The last sentence almost seemed desperate, and Haru's smile returned. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he told him, it was silly to think he wouldn't believe him right? After all Yuki knew how he felt about him, he knew he wouldn't lie. "Before I do, maybe you'd better answer something else first." He said, as he leant over and kissed Yuki quickly and softly on the lips, before sitting back again, "How come you never pull away?"

"Now your skins soak up all those healthy minerals it's off the Hotsprings to get all clean!"

Haru turned towards the happy girl who stood at one side of the mud bath, Yuki staring ahead of him at the wall blushing. The girl was smiling very widely, obviously enjoying this job, and held out two towels for them. It was pretty strange to have a girl looking after any men in the baths, but Haru didn't ponder that for very long as those sorts of things never really bothered him.

-----

"You put a _girl_ in to look after them?" Ayame said surprised, half way to hanging up a muslin drape, attaching it to the ceiling to hang down at one side of Yuki's bed, "……very good Shigure." He grinned slyly.

"Well we don't want any tempting young man to tear our Yuki away now do we?" Shigure teased, taking out his camera from a small black case.

Ayame blinked, "I thought you said you promised Yuki you wouldn't take any more pictures?"

Shigure grinned, walking over and holding the camera out to Ayame, ""I did, and I always keep my promises, I am not going to take any more pictures of either Yuki or Haru." He said honestly, before smirking, "Although he didn't say anything about someone _else_ not taking them."

Ayame looked at the camera then back at Shigure, before grinning back and taking the small object, "Oh Shigure you certainly know what you're doing."

------

Why didn't he pull away? Why didn't he pull away?

This same question ran in his mind over and over again as he found himself back once again sitting in a hotspring with Haru. He had kissed him, what, three… four times since he had moved in? And apart from this morning when he had taken him by surprise, Yuki hadn't once pulled away. Just sort of stood there, confused, every time confused. It was beginning to annoy him as to why he was confused. The automatic thought for this confusion was that it was Haru, not only two boys but from the same family as well. But that sentiment didn't seem as strong as it used to be.

Years ago if Haru had tried to kiss him, which he had done on several occasions actually, Yuki had pulled away and called him an idiot, or whatever other kind of mixture of words he could think of at that moment. It was only after originally moving in to Shigure's house did Yuki find himself missing Haru. Don't get him wrong, he would NEVER go back to the Estate, even if he'd never see Haru again, but that didn't mean to say he still missed him, and the longer that time went by the more he missed him each day. So when he had turned up home that day to find Haru sitting there, Shigure saying he was staying, Yuki felt a surge of something that since then had made him confused every time he saw his friend. Knowing Haru would be living with him, Yuki would have thought it would be a simple happy feeling, that the best friend he had been missing would be here and they wouldn't have to spend so long apart. Well, there was that, but there was another feeling as well, a feeling that luckily at the time Yuki had stopped himself from showing, because all he wanted to do was to run up to Haru and hug him.

So, ever since that day, Yuki had wondered why he had felt that, why he had wanted to be close to Haru, and only since that feeling appeared, he had stopped pulling away when Haru ever kissed him.

Sighing to himself once again, he opened his eyes and looked across at Haru, who strangely enough hadn't moved closer to Yuki since they had got in. Instead, he was staring at the water, with what looked like a small blush on his cheeks. Yuki didn't know why, but decided he was already thinking of too many things at once and so closed his eyes again, relaxing in the spring.

Haru quickly glanced over at Yuki and returned to staring at the water again. How could he possibly go near Yuki in the hotsprings again, when all he could think about is what Yuki was doing to him yesterday in the springs instead.

He needed to get Yuki drunk more often!

To Be Continued…

**AN:** hehe, and I STILL haven't indulged you into what _truly_ happened that night. ;) (dodges the various sharp objects thrown in her direction). Anyone wanna take a guess? (Shigure giggle)


	24. Admitted

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Gia** – (laughs at her own evilness) Do you think I'll tell you what happened in this chapter?

**basketcases02** – Oh can I now? Well, unless you offer me some highly interesting piece of, something anime related, I'm afraid you will have to wait like the rest of them, MWHAHAA!

**Akira-Solaris** – lol OKAY OKAY!

**D&G** – Nooo! Don't be unhappy! Hmm, maybe I will tell you all in this chapter then…

**K. A. Maples** – (sets up barbed wire around Ayame, followed by trenches, a giant ten foot wall and finished off by mines.) Get to him if you can!

**Hakudoshi-chan** – Oh that wasn't the cliffhanger, maybe this one will be though…hehehe…

**Minnermon** – hehe, you will find out soon enough my friend (and I mean soon so don't worry hehe!)

**C-chan** – lol I have so many things to reveal yet. What Yuki and Haru _really_ got up to last night, what Haru's secret little item is, and what Shigure is really up to with that camera (asides from being a pervert ;)). Ah, how I love to torture people…..ehehehahahahahehehee.

**Rinoki**** Rio** – WOW! Favourites! Thank you!!!!!

**Riversong** – Yey, thank you for keeping with it then! (hugs)

**Yaoi**** Manga Must Reads** - lol I suppose it would have helped if I actually put down which ones I already own, those being Gravitation, Fake, Fruits Basket, Demon Diary, Eerie Queerie, Dragon Knights, and for some reason I have Marmalade Boy, but I really don't know why because personally I found that the most boring Manga I had ever read, no offence to MB fans.

**anonymouslyLabled** – lol Opps, well, I guess your minds gonna have to continue to burn to ash for a while. Gomen! :)

**Blackraver** – Argh! Telling…friends…embarrassment…hehe, and once again, you're ALL gonna have to wait to find out what that item is, it doesn't matter HOW many times people ask, I know the _exact_ point where you're gonna find out, hehe.

**Koyuki** - nods head Yes, I can completely see what you think happened (and in surprising detail too! ;)) But, as is the phrase that is becoming very common with me (everyone, after 3: 1…2….3….) "You'll have to wait and seeeeeeeeeeee!"

**Serpencencia** – (cackles insanely) I'll take that as a complainant, because it is SO true. :)

**Deadly Wispers** – (imagines Yuki with wavy curly hair) ………… (bursts out laughing) AWWWWWW!!!

**Ivy** – ARGH! PENCIL AND STAPLER ATTACK! (goes and hides behind the wall she built for Ayame to protect him from K. A. Maples). Nerrh missed me! (starts raining staples from the stapler as it flies over the wall!) STAPLES!!!!! AHHHHHHH!

**Kitsunes****-Rose** – lol I'll tell you………what I want to :)-

**moonruins** – (stands up straight and crosses arms) Huge watery chibi eyes have no effect on the evilness of my heart. (glances at the huge watery chibi eyes and quickly looks away) Nope, no effect WHATsoever!................STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!

**Kage**** Ohkami** – Updated!! :)

-----

AN: As in the previous chapter, any paragraph that begins with and ends with is a flashback.

-----

**Chapter 24: Admitted**

It was very rare that you had a dream where you knew you were dreaming; where you knew what you were seeing wasn't really there. 1 Yuki was very glad for this fact, because if he hadn't been aware this was a dream, he'd probably be mentally damaged for the rest of time. He was standing watching Kyo in a ridiculously bright red kimono that clashed dangerously with his hair, dancing around in a field full of cows, throwing black and white rose petals from a basket tucked under his arm. He continued doing this for a while singing "Time to soak up all those healthy minerals!" over and over again, before there was a loud crashing sound and the dancing Kyo stopped, turned towards one of the cows, and shouted at it, "DON'T LET HIM PULL AWAY YOU DAMN COW! NO NO NO NO NO!! BAD COW!" before the cow got up on it's hind legs and high kicked Kyo out the way, flying off into the sky which opened up like a gigantic mud spring with a mouth, and ate him in one gulp.

Crash!

"Yuki?"

Yuki awoke with a start and slipped on the rock he was sitting on causing him to fall further into the hotspring.

Crash!

"Wha—Haru what—" he spluttered, pulling himself up out of the water only to realise that there was the beginning of what looked like a very large snow storm heading their way, the crashing of thunder getting closer and closer, the snow coming down twirling around heavily in the strong winds.

"I think it's about time we got out."

Watching the thunderous, pitch black clouds moving swiftly towards them, Yuki agreed and reached behind him to grab their towels. Stepping out into the steam from the spring and wrapping the towels around their waists, the two walked back inside the relaxation room, both finding themselves holding onto their towels pretty hard with the ferocious wind that was picking up. Stepping back inside the warmth of the resort, the young lady looking after them walked over.

"If you'd follow me, I'll get started on the last stage of the relaxation process."

Smiling sweetly, the girl turned around and headed over to the back of the room. Haru and Yuki followed her, and as they walked to the back of the room, Yuki remembered his dream.

_…That…was disturbing._

"Here we are." The two stopped, and Yuki's heart leapt to his throat.

They were facing two massage tables.

------

"Aren't you afraid that she might get a little close while doing that and make one of them transform?"

"Oh there's nothing to worry about Aya." Shigure assured, trying to light a match to ignite a candle without much success, "I get the feeling she won't be touching them."

------

"I'll do it!" Haru said a little too excitedly, as Yuki realised the prospect of what Haru was getting so excited about, "I don't mind missing out," Haru continued, walking round the table and picking up a bottle of scented massage oil from the small table, "I'll massage Yuki!"

The girl who was supposed to be doing this flushed red for a moment at that image, then smiled, "Okay then, I'll leave you two alone."

Bowing politely and heading out the room, she closed the door behind her leaving the two boys alone. The silence around the massage tables was only being interrupted by the occasional howl of wind from outside, and one flash of lighting.

Yuki was staring at the floor, heart rate jumping as he could feel Haru's eyes on him. Could this weekend possibly get any more embarrassing!? He was only standing here in a towel to begin with, now he was left alone with Haru who wanted to--, hmm, well, on second thoughts, he supposed it was better that Haru did this than a girl. It would be a little bit awkward if she had gotten to close and one of them transformed, but…still…the way Haru was looking at him…

What was he talking about?! He could just refuse! He didn't have to do thi—

"Ready? I've never done this before but I'd really like to try." Haru said, picking up another bottle from the table and looking at the label, wondering which one he should use.

Yuki watched him for a moment, picking up different bottles, and sighed. He knew very well he was going to regret this but…oh, what the hell.

"Okay then."

-----

"Finished!" Shigure and Ayame chorused, looking at their handy work in Yuki and Haru's room.

White drapes around the beds, the deep red curtains closed to keep out the storm outside. Red and white roses in various places around the room, tall red candles by the walls and smaller cream ones on desks and shelves, giving of a faint smell of vanilla in the room. With the lights turned off so only the candle light could flicker in the room, they had turned this hotspring resort hotel room into a romantic little love nest.

There was _no_ chance that Yuki was walking away from this place in the same frame of mind as when he arrived, because if he could resist the wills of Shigure and Ayame, then there was no hope for the boy.

-----

"I am not taking it off." Yuki was glaring at Haru who blinked back at him in surprise.

"I didn't say you had to."

"Yes but I know what you're thinking and I am not taking it off." Yuki said, finalising the conversation, keeping a tight grip on the towel around his waist, and walked over next to the massage table.

He was trying to keep his heart steady; keeping his cool demeanor instead of flustering in a panic, which to be honest was a strange image to see himself doing. Deliberately facing away from Haru, Yuki lay down on his front on the table, resting his head on his arms comfortably.

Haru personally couldn't believe Yuki was going to let him do this! He had chosen anoil which he thought the description might help Yuki out a bit.

'**Angelica - **For strengthening the mind and spirit. Helpful for anxiety, hopelessness, indecisiveness. Stimulates the immune system.  
Caution: Photosensitive, do not use before sun or ultra violet light exposure.'

Okay, well, not that anything else had anything to do with Yuki, but with any luck it might help any indecisiveness he may have. Pouring a small amount onto his palms and rubbing them together to gain the warmth, Haru stepped over to the awaiting Yuki and suddenly paused, hands barely an inch away from Yuki's back.

Hmph, it was funny, Haru wished he could figure out a way to keep his Black side at bay so it didn't just appear like this.

------

Kyo lay on his back on the floor in the living room staring outside one of the windows to the raging snow storm. The one time he really needed to be on the roof and away from Kagura and he couldn't ruddy well get up there!! Mind you, to be honest he couldn't care less about her right now (who was currently dusting Shigure's office) as he had other plans to make. He had been thinking about how the best way to embarrass Haru was with the item he found under Yuki's pillow. On seconds thought from what he thought earlier, he didn't really need to bribe Haru for anything, he really just wanted to get back at him for being so loving and disgusting over the past week, and with _Yuki_ of all people, it make Kyo feel physically sick! He needed to do something that would embarrass Haru so much that everyone around would laugh at him, but how? And he needed a crowd, there had to be a large crowd. He laughed to himself rather evilly as he sat up, crossing his legs as a flash of lighting struck outside the window, illuminating his profile. Hearing Kyo laugh made Kagura poke her head around the side of Shigure office…

Who decided to interrupt Kyo's evil laughing moment to jump on him and hug him.

-----

It seemed that Kyo wasn't the only person thinking evil thoughts, and although it wasn't quite in the same league, a Black Haru now was now laughing away to himself in his mind, very proud that his plan of keeping hidden to the exact moment and that White didn't even see him coming!

_Heh__ heh heh, Yuuuuukiiii._

Yuki, completely unaware of the 'danger' he was in, lay perfectly still as Haru placed his hands on his shoulders, rubbing slowly over his shoulder blades.

This actually felt incredibly nice. The massage oil felt warm on his skin, and with the patterns Haru made on his back, Yuki wondered if this really _was_ the first time Haru had done this, because he was very good if he hadn't! Yuki began to feel his eyes start to drift shut, and he lay there completely relaxed as Haru's hands moved further down his back, further….further……..

….further?

Yuki opened his eyes frowning, and before he could even open his mouth to ask exactly how far down Haru was planning to go, he found the towel around his waist suddenly ripped away from him!

"HARU!" Yuki screamed, turning over, only to realise that wasn't a great idea as he was now on show, and quickly leapt off the table down to the ground to grab his towel.

As he looked up, Haru had crawled onto the table and was leering down at him, before leaping down right onto Yuki, who quickly scampered back against the wall trying to keep the loose towel over his lower regions, as Black Haru quickly crawled up right in front of him.

"Stop i—"

"Let's do it." Haru breathed, grabbing Yuki's shoulders and holding them back against the wall as he leant in to try and kiss him, but Yuki, still half in shock at the sudden change of personality, managed to slip under his grasp and move to one side.

"Come on, there's no need to by shy." Haru smirked, back on his hands and knees as he crawled towards Yuki who was still moving backwards on the floor, not taking his eyes off of Haru, but unable to get up to put the loose towel properly around him without stopping and letting Haru catch up with him, "After last night it shouldn't be a problem right?"

_Not last night again!!_

"You're just being coy aren't you, you do remember, you're just teasing me." Yuki found himself back up against another wall as Haru once again managed to corner him. "Come oooon," he said dreamily, tilting Yuki's chin up to him, "It's just us here," he whispered, lips close to Yuki's, "No one'll see us."

Up until that point Yuki hadn't said anything, as there was usually no point in trying to reason with a Black Haru, but now it was time to say something.

WHACK!

Only Yuki preferred to hit him rather than attempt to reason, it was a more effective strategy!

Haru sat back on the floor, his own towel having to have miraculously managed to stay on, and blinked. While Haru had fallen back, Yuki had quickly stood up and put the towel back round his waist before Haru came out of his daze.

"Yuki?" Haru asked quietly, looking at the floor before looking up at Yuki.

Yuki glared down at him, hands once again holding his towel protectively, and stormed out towards the door.

"Ah Yuki!" Haru jumped up from the floor when he realised where he going, "Don't!---leave…"

-----

_We didn't, NO way… we couldn't! But…_

_--"After last night it shouldn't be a problem right?"--_

_We did…we must have…we really…_

Yuki walked quickly down the corridor, hand to his mouth as he felt a wave of sickness wash over his stomach. It was a pathetic thing really, but he almost felt like crying. It was….oh god, this was a nightmare!! He couldn't….he couldn't remember! He just couldn't remember!! He felt a tear roll down his cheek as he found himself beginning to panic. He couldn't stay here, not anymore, he'd pack and call for a taxi, he couldn't stay here alone with Haru anymore, and he just couldn't bare the thought of what they might have done!

"YUKI!"

Yuki glanced behind him to see Haru running after him. He couldn't face him, not without knowing what they did; he couldn't even look at him. Pinking up the pace and running towards their room, Yuki flew open the door…

And stopped.

Haru ran up behind him, all set on apologising to Yuki, but stopped and stared into their room just as he was. Haru looked behind him and down the corridor, then back to their room,

"Err, this is _our_ room isn't it?"

With the flowers and candles that now decorated the room, Haru wasn't sure if he had gotten lost again. But Yuki was here, so it must be right.

Still, for Yuki, whatever had happened to this room, he didn't care anymore.

"It's the room we were staying in, but it's not _our_ room anymore."

He stormed over to their bedroom and slid back the door, pausing only for a second in confusion at the drapes now covering their beds before bringing out his suitcase and quickly throwing on a shirt and trousers.

"He-he-hey Yuki, what are you doing?" Haru asked, panicking slightly at Yuki packing his suitcase.

"I'm going home!" he said forcefully, grabbing anything of his and throwing it into the case.

"What!? Why?"

"Haru!" he said briskly, stopping and glaring over at the boy, "Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to not be able to remember what I did last night! I - can't - remember! And it would seem you are not going to tell me so I'm going home!" he resumed his hurried packing ignoring the upset look on Haru's face, "I can't stand to even look at you, I can't remember and it's driving me insa--!"

"--I'm sorry," Haru said at a desperate attempt to get him to stay, "Please don't go."

"Well will you just tell me what we did then?!" Yuki shouted, tears still in the corners of his eyes, as he glowered at Haru straight in the eye.

Haru however simply stared straight back, the corner of his lips suddenly curving upwards in a smirk.

"….huh?" Yuki asked cautiously, knowing all to well that look in Haru's eye.

Suddenly Yuki found himself tackled down to the bed, his wrists being held down by Haru's hands as the younger zodiac straddled him and gazed down at the silvered haired boy. Leaning in close right to his ear, a Black Haru whispered,

"Why don't we re-enact it?"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE HARU STOP IT!"

Before he could say anything else, Haru was ripping Yuki's shirt off his front with a piercing look in his eyes grinning wildly, as the beautiful boy beneath him struggled against his sudden extra strength. But while Yuki was shouting at Haru to stop it, and while Haru was laughing above him trying to strip every inch of clothing off, Yuki's mind was screaming at him. _Why…why is this happening?...why does he have to have this Black side?!...........why don't I give in?!......_

_….exCUSE me?!"_

"HARU STOP IT PLEASE!" Yuki screamed, as Haru's hand dipped below his waist line flittering across his skin.

"Ok, now do your part."

Yuki stopped struggling and blinked up at him, "Huh?"

Haru's hand had stopped just in time, "We're re-enacting it right? Now you've got to do your part here."

Yuki frowned annoyed at him, "That's the _point_ Haru I don't remember what I did!"

It was difficult to tell if Haru was Black or not now. True he was doing something his White wouldn't be doing, but his facial expression had changed to be quite calm again, waiting for Yuki to do, whatever he had apparently done at that point, before things got more…exciting. Haru was now simply staring down at Yuki lovingly, smiling gently.

"Well, I really wanted _you_ to remember, so...maybe this will this help you?" he said tenderly, snapping Yuki out of his panicking thoughts as Haru leant in closer again, and whispered in his ear,

"I love you too."

And the memory came flooding back…

As Haru's hand slowly trailed down Yuki's back, Yuki was lost in sensations. He didn't want this to stop, he felt so good, almost giddy as Haru kissed him so tenderly, his body so close. He had never felt this, and now he didn't want it to go away. He wrapped his arms around Haru and pulled him even closer, his hands coming up underneath the loose shirt he was wearing. He wanted this, he…he wanted to be with Haru…he wanted……

Haru released Yuki's captured lips and kissed down his neck, leaving trails of butterfly kisses to his collarbone. His hand came down under his thigh, pulling Yuki's leg up further as Yuki's head fell back against the pillow moaning softly, Haru loving every inch of his skin.

Yuki's eyes were still glazed from the wine, his head was spinning, but all he could think about was how wonderful this felt. He couldn't imagine this feeling with anyone but Haru, he didn't want to with anyone else, he was the only one he wanted to be close to…he wanted…he wanted to let him know…he didn't want to hide from this feeling, he didn't want to hide anymore…he wanted to say…that he…I…

"…I love you."

"I…I said I…loved you." Yuki whispered, wide eyed as the memory he had been trying to will to the surface finally made its appearance.

"Yeah." Haru said softly, smiling happily.

Haru stopped his decent down Yuki's body, his clouded mind suddenly clearing as though a fresh gust of air had blown away the intoxication. Looking up at the boy beneath him, Haru looked straight into Yuki's eyes, one that looks so honest, so true.

"You…" he began, but he was too lost for words at hearing that small sentence from Yuki, that his mind had lost all reason, "…you…"

The next moment Haru engulfed Yuki with a full body contact hug, holding him so tightly, eyes squeezed shut as his heart felt like it was almost going to explode with the happiness he felt at those words.

Yuki loved him.

He loved him!

He had finally said he loved him!!

He had waited _so long_ to hear that, and to think what he was doing just now, taking advantage of the person he would love forever. No, he felt to giddy now to even think of anything like that. Moving his head up to look at Yuki, who was smiling serenely staring with half closed eyes up at him, Haru felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. It had finally happened, Yuki looked so honest, he really meant it, it may have taken for him to get drunk, but this is what he really felt, he could tell!

Haru leant down once more and kissed Yuki softly, who now looked like he was half way to falling asleep, and leant back on the bed pulling Yuki to him, grabbing the bed sheets and pulling them over them. He would never ever forget this, he'd be together with Yuki forever, he'd make sure of it! There was no one alive that would take him away from him now. He loved Yuki, and Yuki loved him.

"I love you too Yuki, so much…"

Suddenly the events that took place before he moved in seemed insignificant right now.

"You said you loved me."

Yuki stared at him in shock, eyes wide and sparkly. He…he said he loved him? Haru? He had admitted he loved him? Hang on, admitted? _What you mean admitted? Admitted what?! I don't…I don't love him…I can't…I…_

_I love him…?_

_I love him?_

_I love…_

"Which is why I want to tell you." Yuki looked back at Haru, the candle light flickering in the background, "I want to tell you why I moved into Shigure's house….

…I want to tell you everything."

To Be Continued…

**AN:** OMG OMG OMG OMG (goes into hyperactive spasms), the next chapter will explain what Haru's doing here!!!! I've been waiting to write this for like, ever. It's 'the scene' time, although 'the scene' has turned out more to be 'the chapter' as it's so long, and the beginning of it was kind of the end of this chapter. Anyways, just because this is the scene that sparked off this whole fanfic, it doesn't mean that it will be the end chapter. There are still quite a few more chapters to go afterwards my friends, hehe!

1 – This actually happened to me once. I dreamt I was in this weird, kinda Batman black car type thing careering off the edge of a cliff into a large lake (with a gigantically massive like, 40 foot strawberry growing in the middle of it for some_ really _WEIRD reason) and I remember thinking to myself "Don't worry, you can't die it's just a dream." And I even queried myself in my dream how I knew it was a dream if I was dreaming it. Did any of that even make sense? Well, anyway, there we go. :) Hmm, makes me wonder if it really was a dream? Maybe I was remembering a past life………..uh huh. Giant strawberries.


	25. What He Wanted

Thanks to my reviewers! Wow, and a record amount of reviews for one chapter too, THANK YOU:)

**Akira-Solaris** – Aw, yey, thank you:)

**Gia**

**Koyuki**

**Jessiegurl43953** – LMAO I can easily stop it there, but don't worry, I think that will be the last nasty cliffhanger….well, let's see what you think of this one actually…

**minnermon** – hehe, I take away the aggravation of not knowing what Haru and Yuki did that night by finally telling you, but in it's place I've now made you all wonder what Kyo is planning too. Hehe, I just like to annoy people. :)-

**D&G** – Hey hey hey! Don't stab my cliffhanger! (grabs cliffhanger and bandages the wound). You leave my cliffhangers alone, you!

**Soul Catcher** – YEY! You reviewed again! Lol the paper walls, now do you REALLY think I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen to Kyo? Heheheheheeeeeeeeeee…..

**Hakudoshi-chan** – (thinks) Hmm, yes, I suppose your right. And I hope it doesn't get deleted too, only 1 reviewer out of you all thought that chapter before should be an R rating, so I guess I'll have to change it. It only takes one person to complain and woosh, I'm off Aw but that sucks cos the rest of it is PG-13, and I don't wanna rewrite that chapter cos I got a load of good reviewers for it! Grrr, why do people have to sensitive to these things? Maybe I'll just make it really really REALLY clear on that chapter that it isn't my fault if you read it and get offended because I have warned you! Although I suppose technically if you're reading this kind of story, readers should expect things like that anyway, hehe.

**Kage**** Ohkami** – Be prepared then, cos it's not gonna be pretty:(

**TheHomicidalManiac777** – lol You're the second person that's dying, looks like I'm causing a massacre of aggravated reviewers, hehe!

**foxgrl991** – Now that would be telling wouldn't it ;)

**C-chan** – lol The dream, well if you look back to that previous chapter everything in that was taken from that chapter. What Kyo is singing, the petals, the mudspring, and of course the cows for Haru. Although true I dunno WHAT I was on when I wrote that:) And I KNOW! JANUARY! I would never have dreamed it would last so long, it's taken forever! It's gonna be weird when I finish, I'm just gonna be sitting here twiddling my thumbs feeling I should be doing something lol (waves at J-chan) HIIIIII! Nice to meet you (bows).

**Ivy** – You were the only reviewer to guess in the right direction, so well done to you! (hands out those chocolate strawberries) ……..wait a minute, you're not a strawberry! (grabs Yuki who had somehow got in the middle of that and pulls him away) Sorry, but he is for Haru after all. ;)

**A Glass of Water** – Well, either way, you get a hell lot more than we do. The only animes that are on my profile that have actually been shown in England are Pokemon and Outlaw Star, that's it! All the rest I had to buy off the net and hope I like them, which luckily I did, except for Marmalade Boy. How I buy animes search for Bishonen, find one, buy whatever he's in :)

**kaesaku** – OMG, no way am I a genius! (face becomes the equivalent of a large ripe red tomato). Wow, thank you so much…..(crawls into her wardrobe and shuts door).

**K. A. Maples** – lol Short? That was the longest one I had written so far! Although this chapter has now topped that. And Ayame will you STOP trying to escape unless you want this reviewer to use her Bowl Disrupter on you!...that's better. It's for your own good until the end of this fic that you stay behind everything I did to protect you because I am not going to reveal what Kyo found for quite a few chapters yet ;)-

**Ropponmatsu**** III** – Oh wow, long review! That's so cool! That's why I started writing this because there was a lack of Haru/Yuki fics out there, I wanted to add one to the small list, but I never would have thought it would turn out to be this popular with people! (goes all warm and fuzzy inside). And YES PLEASE! You're the only person to offer to draw Kane, that would be so cool thank you! Well, one of my best friends says she drawing him, but she won't let me look at it yet (glares at Soul Catcher). So thank you! That would be great if you'd draw him for me! (big hugs).

**Xianghua**

**anonymouslyLabled**

**Terra Rain** – YEY! I'm glad you laughed, although I warn you now, you won't be laughing in this chapter. :(

**basketcases02**

**moonruins** – (walks in room with blindfold over her eyes) MWHAHAHAA! I CAN SEE YOUR WATER CHIBI EYES NO MORE! (falls over a chair) ……………..ow……

**Kitsunes****-Rose** – hehe, you and every other reviewer my friend, you'll just have to continue to waaaaaaaait:)-

* * *

**AN:** (halo appears above head). Wasn't that a nasty place to leave you hanging in that last chapter hmm? (demon horns appear in its place as she runs off into the night laughing).Oh how I love writing cliffhangers Anyways, just a quick warning note really, this may be a romantic comedy, but this chapter….

IS GONNA BE A SAD ONE:(,

**WARNING** for language in this.

* * *

**Chapter 25:** **What He Wanted**

He's everything you want,  
He's everything you need,  
He's everything inside of you  
That you wish you could be.  
He says all the right things,  
At exactly the right time,  
But he means nothing to you  
And you don't know why.

_Everything You Want_ – by Vertical Horizon.

* * *

"What?" Yuki asked quietly, as Haru sat up away from him at the edge of the bed.

The atmosphere had suddenly become very serious, and Yuki didn't like it. Haru was looking far too solemn for someone who just a second ago was attacking him. But he had no time to think about what he had just remembered saying to Haru last night, something was wrong, something wasn't right, and what did he mean 'Tell you everything?'. The thought that Haru had come to live with them for a reason had only flitted across his mind a couple of times, but he'd never really thought about it. Haru had been so happy over the past week, it surely couldn't have been anything bad.

…Right?

"Haru? What's wrong? What's going on?"

Haru could feel his own heart beating faster as the nervousness kicked in. Was he really going to tell Yuki what had happened? Why he was here? Why he had wanted to do nothing but stay close to him? Haru tried to calm himself by putting on a faint smile.

Yes, Yuki had said he loved him, he could tell him now.

"I didn't just move in with you just like that, there was a reason….I guess it's time I told you."

Yuki sat up from the bed and sat opposite Haru on the second bed, so he could see straight at his face what was going on. Haru however simply looked down at the floor, avoiding his questioning gaze.

"It was Akito," Yuki's eye rose worryingly at that name, "And…and something I did…something that…" Haru paused as he willed himself to remember the day he had deliberately blocked from his mind,

"Something that I'll never forgive myself for."

The look on Haru's face, it made Yuki feel like his own heart was breaking. What on earth was going on? What was Haru going to tell him?

"My Black personality, you of course know the story about, the whole vending with training, with Kyo and stuff like that, but it didn't work. When I met you of course that all changed, but there was something else that changed as well. It was this strange feeling directed at Akito…whenever he was around you."

_((( Where's Yuki gone?_ Haru pondered to himself, wandering around the Main House looking for his favourite zodiac member. He had just come back from training and wanted to tell Yuki he'd managed to kick Kyo into a tree, he'd like that. Turning round one corner, he saw Yuki standing at the end of the corridor, staring through a window. Smiling and walking quickly towards him, he suddenly stopped when Akito walked up behind Yuki, placing one hand delicately on his shoulder. Ducking into an open door, Haru watched as Akito said something to Yuki, who didn't move to look at him and continued to stare out the window. He couldn't hear what Akito was saying, but Haru's eyes darkened when he traced one finger down Yuki's arm. He could see Yuki flinch slightly at the touch, and he gritted his teeth.

"Keep walking…" Haru growled quietly, before Akito whispered something in Yuki's ear and finally walked away, letting his hand stay on Yuki's arm until he walked out of reach.)))

"I didn't know why at the time, I'd never really paid that much attention to Akito before, he didn't seem to be too interested in me as long as I stayed in the Sohma estate like everyone else. But every time he was around you…the way he looked at you…it was like I could feel my blood start to boil, getting hotter every time I was around him. I began to hate him, I didn't even know why. After a while I began to see a pattern, that every time you ever came round to me, I would see Akito walking the hallways with this sickening little smile on his face. Then every time you looked at him you would look so terrified." Haru paused, still not looking at the very concerned Yuki in front of him,

"So I just put two and two together and came up with the biggest mistake of my life."

"Stop it." Yuki suddenly stated, making Haru finally look up at him. Yuki was sitting right at the very end of the bed, his eyes shining in the candlelight, "Whatever you're trying to tell me, don't." Yuki had never seen Haru act like this, he could see it was causing him great pain to explain what had happened, and he didn't like that expression on Haru.

But Haru ignored him, there was no way he was going to stop now he had started.

"I can't. A part of me knew I couldn't go up against the head of the family, which is why I managed to keep control over it, but every time I saw Akito it just got pent up so much I couldn't stand it. That day when he came to the school to talk to Tohru, I was watching when he turned to you. I can tell you now, if Tohru hadn't had pushed Akito that day…" Haru narrowed his eyes at the memory, the look Akito had caused on Yuki's face, "I would have killed him there and then. For quite a while after I desperately tried to keep away from him at the Estate, because I knew that this time I couldn't trust myself not to do anything…" Haru peered over at the red and white roses in the corner, as another flash of lighting from the storm outside illuminated the room for a moment.

"Unfortunately that didn't work."

((("Haru I have to see Mashiro before I go to work so I'm having to leave a little earlier, do you want a lift to school?" said Haru's father, grabbing his wallet and Swiss Army Knife he got for his birthday last month and putting them in the pocket of his jacket.

"Yeah, thanks."

Haru grabbed a can of drink from the fridge and grabbed his school bag, running up behind his father as they walked out the front door. Mashiro, Momiji's father, and his own, were in the same line of business and quite frequently had little meetings and chat's about the market and profit lines. Stepping into the deep blue Suzuki, they drove the short distance over to his home.

"I shouldn't be long."

Haru nodded as his father pulled up outside and stepped out the car. As he waited, he became fascinated by a leaf that had got caught in a current of breeze and was swirling round and round in the same spot of air. Suddenly the car door opened and his father stepped back inside.

"Over at Hatori's apparently.")))

"One week last Thursday, that day I didn't turn up at school, my father needed to see Momiji's dad over at Hatori's so he was going to give me a lift to school on his way to work. As he talked with him, I just wandered down one of the hallways to waste time when I heard Akito through one of the doors. He was just sitting there talking to one of his birds, I'm not even sure he realised that I was there."

Yuki watched with very anxious eyes.

_What had Akito done? _

He had to have done something, Haru…he looked like he was about to burst into tears. Suddenly Haru brought his hands to his face, clenching his fingers against his eyes in a vain attempt to stop the tears that really were coming. At this gesture Yuki leapt straight of the bed and knelt down in front of Haru, half concerned and half horrified eyes as he put his hands on Haru's shoulders.

"What he…what he wanted to do to you…he just…" Haru clenched his eyes shut, wanting to block out the memory, "I…I couldn't stop…if I…" he chocked through sobs, as Yuki felt his body begin to shake under his hands, "If I'd just walked away I wouldn't have…"

Panic wasn't a strong enough word for this. Something was seriously wrong, and Yuki wasn't sure, with the state that Haru was putting himself in, whether he really wanted to know.

"Haru, Haru calm down." He tried to say steadily, but coming off just as nervous.

Haru's emotions could change so quickly, it was quite surreal sometimes, but seeing Haru like this made Yuki both angry and terrified at the same time. Terrified because, what had happened to him must be so hurtful to try and explain, and angry because whatever it was, Akito was obviously something to do with it, and knowing that he had hurt Haru one way or another made him want to hurt Akito right back.

Haru, hands still shielding his face, took a deep breath and went silent for a moment. Yuki released the grip on his shoulders and sat back against his heels, just kneeling on the floor looking up at Haru, who had now turned his head away so Yuki didn't have to see the wet tear tracks on his cheeks. He didn't want to break down like this, it was the last thing he had wanted to do, but he never realised explaining this to someone could be so hard, having to remember in detail what happened for a second time had just overwhelmed him. He had to tell Yuki, he had too. Maybe he would feel better afterwards. Taking another breath, Haru continued with his story.

(((Slipping down the wall, Haru sat on the ground, eyes wide staring at the wall across from him. Akito, what…what was he saying? Wasn't he cruel enough to Yuki already? Why did he have to say these things? These…disturbing things?

"…he'd like that wouldn't he?" Akito continued his one-sided conversation with the tiny sparrow sitting on his window ledge, pecking away at random patches unable to understand what Akito was speaking to it.

For its own mental stability, it was lucky it couldn't understand.

Haru however wasn't as fortunate, and above the faint murmur of his father talking further down the corridor in a room, all he could hear was Akito. Akito, and a certain name being repeated on his lips over and over again, a name that Haru did not want to hear coming from that…that monster of a human being. Haru stayed balanced on his feet as he crouched by the door, his fists closed shut tight at Akito's words.

"And that Ox, what an idiot." Haru's ears perked up at his zodiac form being mentioned, "I wonder what he would do, silly child." The sparrow hopped innocently over to Akito's arm draped over the window sill, and fluttered over it to the other side. "He'll never know how much _fun_ Yuki can be, when he can do nothing but do as you tell him to."

Haru bit his bottom lip in an attempt to stop this surging feeling he had inside him. He should get up and walk away, then he wouldn't have to listen to this. As much as he HATED the fucking bastard, he was still the head of the family, he was sti. Haru stopped his train of thought and opened his eyes, he never swore in his white personality…never.

Unless…)))

"…I couldn't…I couldn't stop myself…"

((("Especially when he does what you want him to do…" Akito continued mysteriously, until he turned swiftly when his door slid back harshly to see Haru standing in the door way, looking just about ready to murder someone.

Or Akito more specifically.

His eyes seemed to flash on the verge of an insane anger. It was both his Black _and_ White personality that wanted to make him suffer for wanting to hurt Yuki, so it was twice as bad. It was the first time his two personalities were agreeing with each other, and the anger that surged through him was so intense, it was like he was a completely different person altogether. Without saying a word Haru suddenly rushed at Akito, throwing him back against the wall gripping his thin arms so tightly his finger nails dug straight into his skin.

"HATORI!" Akito screamed, having no match against this Haru, but the pleas fell upon deaf ears as the only phrase repeating over and over again in Haru's mind was to kill him, kill him,

KILL HIM!)))

"I turned on him." Haru said, disturbingly quiet as he stared at the floor to the right of Yuki, "The hold I had kept on myself saying he was the head of the family just didn't seem to be important anymore. I don't actually remember that much about what I did, I just remember thinking over and over again that I wanted to kill him, and I was deadly serious." Haru looked down at his hands, his eyes narrowing sadly, "But the part I remember after that, I…" his breathing as slowed, almost as if he was in a trance at the memory, "I…"

((("HARU!"

Haru's father had raced into Akito's room when he heard the screaming, only to come face to face with his own son attacking the head of the family.

"HARU! NO!"

Running up behind him, he grabbed Haru from behind and tried to pull him off Akito, holding the frantic boy against his chest as he yanked at Akito's clothes, hair, anything he could get his hands on, his eyes ablaze with rage! This was a kind of fury no one had ever seen in Haru, or probably even Haru himself had felt. No matter how strong his father was, he could barely keep the hysterical Haru away, lurching forward to hit Akito as many times as he could, shattering cries and words at how he could _possibly_ be thinking of doing those things to Yuki, you ignorant, perverted,

"SICK FUCKING BASTARD!"

Akito was in no condition for fighting back, and was being thrown about like a rag doll trying to cower away from the pain with his arms. But it was here when he suddenly noticed something shiny out the corner of his eye, and as Haru lunged for him again, Akito quickly grabbed what was on the floor and held it out in front of him in defense.

"HARU THAT'S ENOU—"

Suddenly, the chaos that had filled the room subsided. The screams and cries of pain and anger, vanished. Everyone was still. Everyone was silent. Haru stood over a kneeling Akito, his father still holding him back against his chest, arms tightly wrapped around him trying to pull him away. The insane anger in Haru's eyes disappeared as quickly as it came. Something…something was warm by his ribs, something…that was spreading. He slowly looked down to left side, where he saw Akito's hand just passed him, holding the handle of something he couldn't see, where a sickening red blood was seeping onto his shirt. And as if that was worrying enough, the terrifying thing was…

Is that it wasn't his own.

He didn't need to turn around….

He didn't need to look…

Slowly, he felt the his fathers arms slip away from him, the warmth on his back fall away, and a dead thump on the ground behind him. Akito let his arm fall limp from the air, his own hand covered in the blood, the Swiss Army Knife that had fallen out of the jacket pocket of Haru's father having been spotted on the ground, embedded in the chest of the very same person, the person he hadn't been aiming for. Akito staggered up from the ground, fell backwards a few steps and fell against the wall, sliding back down to the ground.

Haru stayed standing exactly where he was, staring down at Akito, his eyes glazed staring more through him then at him. His breathing was slow, his heart beat was slow, he didn't want to turn around, he didn't want to see, he couldn't…there was no way that…

"What's going on?"

Mashiro wandered through the door and grabbed on to the door frame in horror. He ran immediately to Haru's father, but whatever he was frantically saying to them all, Haru didn't hear.

He stared, unmoving, practically not breathing, as he came down off the adrenaline rush and entered the shock and unbelievingly truth of what he had just caused. Without moving his wide and traumatised eyes, he raised his arm to touch the warm blood on his shirt, clenching the cloth.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT! I'VE DONE NOTHING! IF YOU HADN'T ATTACKED ME THIS WOUDLN'T HAVE HAPPENED! YOUR FAULT! YOU CAN'T BLAME ME! YOU KILLED HIM I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Killed? Did he…

Haru finally turned around, looking down at Mashiro who was sitting on the floor, one leg bent and his head resting on his arm on his knee, looking shaken down at the still body of his father on the floor.

Knife.

Blood.

He…he had…

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

And Haru ran.)))

Yuki at this point, had to sit back against the bed on the floor, unable to even think for a moment at what Haru had just told him. This, this was completely unbelievable! How could this have happened! And Haru! He had been so happy this whole week, what the hell was going on? Yuki looked back up at Haru, who was now holding his head in his hands. His eyes went wide for a minute when he realised what Haru must have been thinking, so swiftly sat back on the bed next to Haru and brought him round to hug him.

"Don't you dare Haru, that isn't your fault, you should know better than to believe anything Ak…_he_ says." Yuki didn't want to say Akito's name in front Haru now, nor ever again. Yuki had first hand knowledge of the mind games Akito could play on people, he wasn't going to let Haru fall into his traps.

"Don't worry." Haru whispered, so faintly Yuki could barely hear it, "I know better than that, I know what he's like, it was just the shock, that's why I ran. It doesn't matter what he says, even if I did start the fight, it was still Akito who picked up the knife, it wasn't my fault…it wasn't my fault…it wasn't…my fault…"

"Haru STOP IT!" Yuki said forcefully. He knew that tone of voice all to well; Haru didn't believe himself when saying that, he was just trying to convince himself so it didn't hurt so much, "It was NOT your fault!" Yuki forced Haru's hands away from his face and looked at him straight in the eye, "It wasn't your fault." He said softer, but just as stern.

Haru looked at him through tear blurred eyes, as Yuki used his thumb to wipe away the tears that just seemed to fall freely now. Slowly, Haru leant forward and rested his forehead on Yuki's shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut as Yuki wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly as he cried into his shoulder, letting the emotions he had kept hidden deep down for over a week finally let loose.

Yuki didn't know what to do. All he did know was that he didn't want to let Haru go. The pain he must have been going through this week, and he didn't see it! He didn't pick up on it! He was with him every possible free second of the day and he didn't see how much he was suffering! Yuki found himself furious at his own lack of pure ignorance, and the more Haru clung to him, the more he found himself wondering just how much Haru really did love him. This whole week, all he seemed to want to do was to be with him, every moment of free time Yuki would find Haru along side him. At school, at home, walking to school, anywhere, and that's when he looked happy. It was then another thought entered his mind, what about Haru's mother! She must be mortified at what had happened and!...

…and why hasn't Haru spoken to her since?

Haru clung to Yuki like a life beacon, he couldn't let go of him, he couldn't let go, being this close right now, it's what he needed. Even after hearing that horrible story, Yuki didn't blame him, and to hear that from Yuki of all people, it was all he needed to believe it himself. It wasn't his fault, if Yuki said it wasn't his fault, then it had to be true. A part of him felt a little lighter, but unfortunately there was still more to come. The tears for the moment had stopped, and he needed to tell Yuki the rest of what happened.

"It's…that's not the end of my little story," Haru said attempting to make it light hearted, but failing rather miserably.

Yuki simply hugged him closer and rested his chin on Haru's head, he didn't want him to see the fact that the pain this was causing Haru, was causing Yuki pain too. He could feel the tears at the corners of his eyes, tears for Haru, tears that showed he cared a lot than he had been putting off this week. For some reason, during Haru's confession of what had happened, the confusion over his feelings for him suddenly didn't seem to matter. It was becoming clearer, but for the moment he wouldn't ponder that, he needed to be here for Haru and Haru alone.

"When my mother found out what had happen, she just…lost herself. She couldn't stop screaming, the whole morning and afternoon I sat there with her. She screamed, I just stared at the wall. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what to think, I think I was just in some kind of shocked trance because the time just flied by. I know Mashiro was there trying to calm her down, but in the end, all he could was just be there to make sure she didn't harm herself, and just let her scream, just let her…let her scream at me."

Yuki eyes widened. After what he had just gone through was his mother blaming him as well?

"I remember when she finally stopped screaming, she turned to me and just…just stared at me, almost as if she was wondering why I was there. I remember…I watched her walk into the Kitchen…and the next thing I knew was seeing Mashiro holding her back, she was struggled with tears streaming down her face stabbing at the air with a knife trying to get to me."

Yuki couldn't hold it in anymore, and let the silent tears fall down, dripping off his cheeks on Haru's hair as he hugged him closer.

"She'd lost her mind, what with me being…what I am, then with this happening and unable to do anything about because of what Akito was, it was like the only way to make her feel better was to get rid of me. As she started screaming again, I saw Hatori walk in the room, having dealt with…Akito, I'm presuming. I knew what Hatori was doing when he walked in front of her, grabbing her hand that held the knife to stop it, and holding his other hand up to her forehead. This whole time I just sat on a chair, staring up at my mother screaming how much she hated me, when suddenly, she went quiet. She dropped the knife and slumped down to the floor."

Yuki didn't need to ask why Haru hadn't spoken to his mother anymore.

"He had erased the memory of my dad, for her own sake, but to do that I had to leave her memory too, or I think she might wonder why there was a boy wandering around her house when she had never had a husband."

Haru went silent for a moment, his eyes closed more peacefully then before under Yuki's chin, feeling a little more relaxed. He felt sleepy now, so warm in Yuki's arms, he was tired, but he needed to finish first.

"So, I left. There was no way I was going to stay in the Estate for another second longer. Mashiro said he would help me out money wise so I could find my own place, but I still wasn't sure what to do, so I decided to go to Shigure to ask for his advice as he lives outside. I didn't have to tell him why I was moving; I just needed a couple of questions that was all. When I arrived there though, it would seem Hatori had already guessed what I was going to do, because the second I arrived Shigure…" Haru smiled sleepily against Yuki's chest, "He hugged me. He said I didn't have to say anything, but he knew what had happened. I thought I'd be angry that Hatori had told him, but to be honest, I was glad. I didn't have to hide anything, so I could ask him things properly; I wouldn't have to act fake and happy in front of him."

"But you were fake and happy in front of me weren't you?" Yuki suddenly asked, amazed at how strong Haru really was.

"No," Haru said softly, "I never acted happy in front of you, I _was_ happy. I think…I think Shigure knew that, which was why he said I could live with him, and you. So while he made plans for everything, I went over to Mashiro's and stayed the night there. Not that I could sleep, but when I got up the next morning to go to school, he asked me why I was going, how could I possibly think of school when it had barely been 24 hours since…what had happened. But I said to him that it wasn't school I was thinking of…it was the fact that I could be with you."

_"You know," pondered Tohru, "Haru has been acting very affectionately today, I wonder if something's happened? He hasn't stopped wanting to hug you all day." _

Yes, that Friday when he came back, Haru hadn't stopped hugging him all day, and then when they came home they found him sitting there with Shigure, announcing he was going to live with them. Was…was he really the reason Haru was able to cope with this for so long? Just by being near him? Was he really the reason?

"It's you who makes me happy Yuki. Even something as tragic as that, seeing you just makes me smile again." Haru smiled sleepily against Yuki's chest, "I love you Yuki…I don't know what else I can say to you, I love you. I love you so much all I want to do is be with you like this."

Yuki could feel his own breathing becoming uneven as he tried to fight back against the tears. He closed his eyes tightly shut and bit his bottom lip. He was fighting this feeling again, this confusion that he suddenly realised…

…actually wasn't there anymore.

Two boys.

Two relatives.

It was the same excuse _every…single…time_.

Two people.

Two hearts.

In love.

…..what was wrong with that? Why is it wrong? It's not wrong. It was right! It was alright to love Haru back! Who cares about principles of the world, wasn't it the principle of the heart that matter the most? It was okay to love Haru, it was okay to say he loved him. He did, he loved him! All those times he was with him ever since that first day, all the times he was feeling so depressed, and one look at Haru and he'd feel happy again. All the times he had seeked him out thinking it was just someone else's company he needed, it wasn't that at all! The only reason he always searched out for Haru was because Haru was the only person in this whole world to make him feel human, to make him feel loved, like he wasn't the waste of space on this planet Akito had always made him feel!

The confusion was gone, and the battleground in Yuki's heart stopped as this feeling trying to get through burst forward, flooding every inch of him with a happiness and contentment he had never felt before. He put his hands on Haru's shoulders and gently pushed him away from his chest, and as Haru looked up at him wondering why,

Yuki kissed him.

One hand through his hair, the other on Haru's hand on the bed, Yuki closed his eyes for the first time since they had first kissed. He had finally realised, he knew what this feeling was, he knew what he wanted….

He wanted Haru.

To be continued…

**AN:** Now THAT, was dramatic, BUT YES! I'VE FINALLY WRITTEN THAT SCENE! (takes a deep breath and melts back into a large comfy chair to relax). I hope it was okay for you all! If you remember, or read back, you'll find all sorts of hints for this along the way, and now you'd understand why Haru got so angry when Yuki compared him to Akito, and all that stuff. Man I feel so sad, sappy and romantic now all at once! (huggles her little Yuki rat plushie). Well, that's the big thing out the way now, but don't worry, still many a chapter to go, we still have to find out what Shigure is doing with that camera, what Kyo is planning, and what Haru's secret little item is, hehehe.


	26. Keep Smiling

Thanks to my reviewers! I thought I might get more for that particular chapter, hehe.

**foxgrl991** – heh, must wait for what item is!

**Ropponmatsu III** – Hey hey! Who's Saiyuki??!?! Me wanna know!!!!! Lol Busy aren't you, and dare I ask why your leg hurts? KANE DRAWING! YEY!!! skips around her tied up Bishies…don't ask.

**Gia**– Good, I was scared it might ruin it for people who didn't like sadness to much.

**Kage Ohkami** – Did you really cry? Oh my gawd! EEEEEEE! :)

**anonymouslyLabled** – YEY! ARIGATO!!

**Terra Rain**

**K. A. Maples** – Wow…er, wows! :) WOW!

**Deadly Wispers** – Heheh, chapter 25 seems to be the 'coming out' chapter in both yours and mine then. I was worried about doing angst in romantic comedy, but everyone seemed to like it, so yey for me! :)

**Hakudoshi-chan** – Well I did warn everyone it would be a sad chapter, I hope you don't mind.

**basketcases02** – hehe, so many questions yet unanswered.

**Nezera** – Oh definitely! Although Gravitation rules in my world at the top.

**Kitsunes-Rose** – WAHOO! Tops marks, shame I never got that kinda score when I was at school, hehe.

**D&G** – lol aww, don't cry! (hugs) But thank you for crying at the same time ;)

**Kativa-chan** - Yey you're back! Hello once again!

**C-chan** – God I swear your reviews get longer every time, it's GREAT! Hehe, you can see why I had been dying to write that scene for so long, since January as it was my first idea for this fic. Yuki has FINALLY given in, but there are plenty more surprises to come. I actually had this idea about a week ago of starting to write the sequel to this, but I stopped myself because I haven't even finished this one yet lol. But don't get too excited, I doubt I'll be writing a sequel I'm afraid, although I have already written the very end chapter, well half of it anyway. Omg you dreamt about my fic!? Obsessed freak? No of course not! ('cough'-freaky-'cough') :) hehehehehe!

**Atsuko-chan** – lol Well, he's only loosing his touch on Haru I guess, and Yuki as well I suppose as, well, the whole last chapter I guess. And hey! Waddya mean you'll take care of this small problem!? (backs into a corner) What are you going to do? ''

**Serpencencia **– lol aww, but it had a happy ending! Just keep thinking of Yuki loving Haru, that'll cheer you up :)

**Jennie** – lol So many reviewers have said the exact same thing about that item, but you're gonna have to wait I'm afraid!!

**kaesaku**

**Lil Nezumi** – Yey! Thanks!

**D&G -** Oh wow you did actually re-read the whole thing again? Hehe, cool!! (quickly grabs the Yuki and Haru plushies) YEY PLUSHIES!!! THANK YOU!

**Ivy** – Man, if I could write 'those' sorts of stories, I'd have 'em doing all sorts of things. ;) But unfortunately I can't without going all girly and squealy and blushie, chapter 23 is about as bad as it gets with me, which isn't very bad lol.

**TheHomicidalManiac777**

**minnermon** - :):):):)

**Trunks2kawaii**

**Jessiegurl43953** - (hides face with hands) Aw man that bit was so corny, I can't believe I come out with stuff like that. Lol

**Koyuki** – Yeah true, but you know there's always someone whos gonna moan about morals and crap like that, so I thought I'd point it out that yes, I _know_ their related, but so far off they might as well not be.

**Raiknii** – lol Funnily enough just as uploaded that chapter I remembered that and then your review came through, so I added it at the bottom of the last chapter instead.

**BC1**

**RekiaReium **– LOL Hey, at least your 14, I'm still single and alone at 19! Ahhh, just look at this fic, all the love that someone could have, hehe. Wow, 3 days? Lol I've been writing this since January, it just doesn't seem to end!!!

**Konie Hime** – Yowza! (blush) Thank you! :)

**Love Haru Fanclub** – Wah! Thank you!! :):):):)

**Miss British Teacakes** – I certainly will!! :)

-----

AN: For those who haven't read my extra note that I added at the bottom of the last chapter, my best friend Soul Catcher drew Kane for me! He's on my profile if you wanna see!

ANN: Just a quick note really, I know that technically Kane's name is supposed to be pronounced like Kain, (I now know this after hearing it said in another anime, Lost Universe! Wahoo!), but I've always read it like it had a Y at the end instead, like Kan-ay, it just sounds cuter.

------

**Chapter 26: Keep Smiling**

For the first time, it was Haru who had his eyes open in surprise as Yuki kissed him, too much in shock of this reaction to think about kissing back. He couldn't believe it, was Yuki…was Yuki really… he hardly even noticed when Yuki pushed him back down on the bed, wrapping his arms around his neck still kissing him deeply, clinging to him not wanting to let go.

"You idiot!" Yuki yelled when he finally pulled away, but his voice was straining with sorrow, "Why didn't you tell me!!!?" he demanded, tears still falling as he held Haru as close as he physically could, "Why?! How could you possibly have kept something like that a secret!?" he cried, burying his head in Haru's shoulders as he tried to understand what on earth Haru could have been thinking!! Yuki felt like it was him that all that had happened to with the pain he felt for Haru right now.

But as Yuki clung to him, tears still falling for the pain Haru must have been going through, Haru gently pushed him away so they were both sitting on the bed, took his chin gently in his hands and kissed him softly. For a moment neither moved, just sat there together, lips moving slowly as for the first time Yuki felt himself melt at the contact, the thought of why he ever pushed this away in the first place felt so strange now.

"I didn't want to tell you until you said that you loved me," Haru finally said as he pulled away, "I wanted you to fall in love with me for me, not because you felt sorry for me after hearing a story like that. That's why I told you now. Last night you said you loved me, I'd been waiting for that, so I knew I could tell you. You didn't need any other incentive, you'd already said it, it wouldn't matter any more."

Yuki suddenly pulled Haru towards him falling back against the headrest of the bed. Haru, still a little amazed at what was happening, rested his head under Yuki's chin and closed his eyes, snuggling against his most favourite person in the whole world.

"I love you." He whispered, finding himself sleepy once again from so many different emotions in such a short time, "Do you…do you really love me now?"

His answer came as Yuki wrapped his arms around him even closer, gently kissing the top of his head.

"Idiot."

And Haru smiled.

-----

Shigure sat with his back against the headrest of his bed reading a book, waiting for Ayame. The two of them had hid behind a separate door when Yuki and Haru had returned to their room, with plans of Ayame secretly staying outside keeping their door just open a crack so he could take pictures. But when the two boys went into their bedroom straight away, things were already looking up! With Shigure keeping to his promise of not taking any more pictures, he left Ayame to sneak into their room and hide just outside the bedroom, ready to capture anything that might be…of use.

So as he waited patiently, the snow storm still rattling around outside, Shigure's mind wandered over to what kind of pictures his friend would get of those two with the environment they made for them. Ah, if only they knew the real reason. He wondered what they would think of him when they found out what he'd be using all these pictures he had taken of them for.

Gently the door to his room slid back and Ayame walked through, closing the door behind him. Shigure looked up from his book to see him looking very forlorn, staring down at the floor.

"What's wrong?" Shigure asked.

"I…I didn't know that had happened…no wonder Haru had been like this…"

Shigure smiled gently, realising what must have finally happened, "I take it Haru has told Yuki about his parents then."

Ayame nodded, having over heard everything as he sat crouched outside their bedroom door, "Why didn't you tell me Shigure?" he asked, peering up at his friend.

"Wasn't my place to say." He said, placing his book on the side table. As he turned back to Ayame however, he was suddenly enveloped in a very tight hug.

"YES! Now I know the truth it is up to I, the older brother, to ensure the happiness of my younger brother and his husband!"

"Husband?!" Shigure enquired close to laughter, "Meaning Yuki's the wife?"

"Of course!" Ayame said standing with his hands on his hips, as though it was the most obvious answer, before clasping his hands and staring lovingly out the window, "Never would I have thought the day where I'd finally be able to dress my dear brother in the wedding gown he deserves."

"I don't think Yuki would appreciate that." Shigure said chuckling, "I take it his reaction to what happened was a good one then?"

Ayame turned to his friend, twiddling the threaded hook of the camera in his hand round and round, "It certainly was Shigure," he said, his voice dropping deeper, before suddenly zooming up to hyper excitement,

"Our plan succeeded!!!!"

------

Haru had fallen asleep around 10 minutes ago, leaving Yuki once again to battle with his own thoughts. At least, that's what would have normally happened, but the war had ended, there were no two sides, just one, one that felt so happy he was lying here like this with Haru, one that had no intention of leaving the boy who loved him back so forcefully. He wondered why it was that he was so, so reluctant to give in to him. Every time Haru had ever kissed him, he had never kissed back, but he had never pulled away either. That meant that there was always a part of him that wanted to be kissed by Haru, which always left him so confused before. Now nothing seemed clearer! Why should you push away someone who loves you? Someone who cares for you so much? He closed his eyes against Haru's soft hair and smiled gently. There was nothing else he wanted, nothing else he needed anymore. He had Haru, and Haru would be the only one he would ever want.

"WHOA I FORGOT!"

Yuki nearly jumped out of his skin when Haru suddenly leapt off him.

"I…I thought you were asleep!?" Yuki said, his heart beat having shot through the roof.

"I'll be right back." Haru said, and without another glance ran out the bedroom and out their room.

"Haru!!" Haru stopped at the door and turned around, as Yuki held back the small chuckle that was trying to escape, "I think you'd better get dressed first don't you?"

"Hm?"

Haru looked down only to realise throughout all of that he was still only wearing the white towel around his waist from the mudsprings.

-----

"Now you're sure they were asleep when you left?"

"Yes yes I'm sure, but are you sure he dropped it here?"

"I saw something fly out of his hands when they fell into the mud baths, I wanna know what it was!"

Shigure peered round the door to his and Ayame's room, pulled the shawl over his shoulders, and tiptoed down the corridor. For all of Shigure's stealthful tactics however, Ayame just walked past him dressed back in his normal clothes humming to himself.

Well, he supposed he had a point, if Yuki had just confessed he loved Haru, he highly doubted they'd be moving away form each other for a while. So shrugging off the shawl, Shigure jogged back up beside his best friend off to find the item Haru had dropped just before Yuki skidded into him earlier falling into the mud baths.

-----

"AAAAARGH WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!!!!!!"

Kane hit his head several times in annoyance at his own stupidity for telling Yuki to go after Haru, "What on earth was I on to let him go like that?! ARGH I'M SO STUPID!!!"

"KANE! Sweetie what's wrong?!"

Kane stopped his childish stomping around his room as his mothers voice rang out from down the stairs, "Uh oh." For with the sound of her hurried footsteps coming up the stairs, he knew what was coming next.

With his door sliding open in one forceful whoosh, Kane found himself embedded in his mothers chest as she held him tightly against her, "Oh what's got my Kane so upset hmm? Is that Yuki of yours not still not paying any attention to you awww don't worry honey, he'll come around soon enough, you're so sweet no one can resist my little cutie Kane."

You'd never believe she was a mother of a 17 year old boy.

"MERPHH!" Kane muffled, desperately trying to get away from his overly obsessive and protective mother.

"I KNOW!" she said, suddenly dropping Kane from her grasp who staggered back gasping for breath, "I'll go get you a strawberry milkshake, that always cheers me up when I'm feeling unhappy." She happily exclaimed, walking back out the door and down the stairs.

"Yeah right," Kane said to himself, rubbing his head in frustration, "Like you've ever been unhappy in your life."

He swore his mother still thought he was 6 years old, and taking a look around his room, decorated with powder pink wallpaper, he sometimes wondered if she deliberately raised him to be gay. Any other normal parent would be at _least slightly_ surprised if their son one day came out to them, but oh no, _his_ mother had to celebrate the fact and announce it to the whole school where he had told her!! No wonder everyone at school thought he was a freak! He shuddered at the memory of all those laughing faces in the school hall when his mother happily announced to the world he liked boys. When she had found out he had a crush on Yuki, the embarrassment decided to follow him to school one day to take a look at him, and he only just managed to stop her from walking up to Yuki and grabbing him into one of her bear hugs for being "her son's choice in life!".

She definitely had a screw loose.

"MILKSHAKES READY SWEETIE!!"

-----

"Where are we going?" Yuki asked, as he and Haru headed out of their room.

"Back to the mudbaths, I got you a present before but I dropped it in there." Haru said, grabbing hold of Yuki's hand.

Yuki blushed shyly at the simple gesture and closed his fingers around Haru's, this was going to take some getting used to.

"Haru."

"Mm?" he said, heading to his left.

"The mudbaths are to the right."

"Oh yeah."

-----

Ayame and Shigure were now wandering around the mudbath room searching for what Haru had dropped. They were both coming up with random things it could be, Ayame dead certain on an engagement ring, and Shigure on something that…

Well, won't be mentioned.

"Urgh, it may be healthy, but I just don't understand how people can sit in that." Ayame protested, peering over the side of the baths into the mud with quite a disgusted look on his face.

"Well I think those two must have enjoyed it." Shigure said, looking down by a pampering table low on the floor, when something caught his eye.

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed, reaching out for the small box lying by the wall, "Here it—"

"—is."

Shigure froze as another hand reached for the same object, and as he looked to his right, saw Haru reaching for it with Yuki standing behind him having just opened the door.

Shigure stared at Haru. Haru stared at Shigure. Shigure stared at Yuki. Yuki stared at Shigure. Yuki glared at Ayame. Ayame glanced at Shigure. Haru glanced at Ayame. Ayame grinned at Yuki.

"OOOOooooooHHhhhHHHHhh!!" and in a whoosh of red cloth Ayame came flying over to Yuki and engulfed him in a hug, "Oh Yuki you've FINALLY got together I'm SO happy for you!!"

After the momentary shock had faded away at seeing these two unwanted people here, especially the one who was hugging him, Yuki finally reacted,

"….What the HELL are you two doing here!!!?"

"Oh just making sure your happy Yuki." Ayame replied gleefully.

"YOU did all this?!" Yuki harshly pushed Ayame away from him.

"We did! Don't you think it was wonderful?! So thoughtful of me don't you think? Of course we had to come along in secret, I couldn't have my little brother leaving unhappy now could I AHAHAAAAA!"

As Yuki and Ayame continued to rage at each other, Shigure picked up the small black box on the floor. Looking at it for a moment, he handed it to Haru. Shigure watched him take it, and as his eyes rose to meet his, he winked at the younger boy. It wouldn't seem Haru wasn't angry with him, because he just smiled back. What reason did he have to be angry about now anyway?

Although perhaps it wasn't quite the same for Yuki.

"You IDIOT!!"

"HAHAHAAA no need for thanks Yuki!"

"WHO'S THANKING YOU!!!?"

Shigure smiled, Yuki wasn't angry. He was shouting, but that was pretty usual between these two. He would never forget what Ayame did for him this time, and whether or not he'd ever say it would be another thing, but Yuki was thankful, after all, shouting or otherwise, the small blush on his cheeks gave away his real feelings. With a little bit of help, it looks like Ayame had finally done something good for his brother. Maybe in a few weeks…or months…or years…Yuki might say thank you, but right now, he was putting up his usual defences for Ayame, screaming at him for daring to be spying on them and trying to interfere.

Looks like things were back to normal.

------

The lightening storm by now had died down, but it was still snowing very heavily outside, the air pitch black from the evening drawing to a close and the heavy cloud cover. Only the lanterns in the trees outside could just about be seen, the light blurred from the snowfall as the wind howled around the trees. Yuki stood at the patio doors staring out into the flurry of snow, as Haru walked up beside him.

"Here. It's just a silly thing but, it's for you."

Yuki watched as Haru open the small box where inside lay two necklaces, both on black soft leather lace, which held the Kanji for the Rat, and the other for the Ox in polished silver. Taking the one for the Ox out of its velvety base, Haru placed it around Yuki's neck.

"You keep my one," he said, while taking the Rat one out and putting the box on the floor, "And I'll keep your one." He put the Rat Kanji necklace round his own neck and smiled, "Then if we are ever apart, we can still be reminded of each other."

Yuki picked up the small Kanji on his necklace and lifted it up, looking at it for a moment before letting it drop back down, "You can be a really sappy romantic sometimes Haru." he said, sighing affectionately, before he felt hands on his waist pulling him towards the other boy, and soft lips on his own.

This was _definitely_ going to take some getting used to, and now the whole turmoil of emotions that was happening earlier had ended, Yuki felt a shyness start to appear, and with a soft blush, was rather tentatively kissing him back. Haru noticed and couldn't help smiling against his lips, before hugging him gently,

"You're so cute, I love you."

Yuki smiled gently against his hair and closed his, as they just stood there together in the quiet of their room. Yuki had now lost count of how many times Haru had said he loved him, and the thought occurred to him, should he say he loved him back? Thinking it was one thing, but hearing yourself say those words, maybe it would finalise it for himself. Resting in Haru's embrace, he felt so warm, so comfortable. Haru loved him. Everyone that had ever met Haru could be sure of. So as he stood there, feeling a loving warmth he had never felt before, Yuki said those magic words,

"I love you too."

For a moment the breath caught at the back of Haru's throat as his eyes went wide.

_Yuki just…he said he…_

Yuki had said it last night, but this time, he really knew what he was doing, what the implications of those few words meant. Haru delicately kissed the side of Yuki's neck in return and kept him held close. It had really happened, after all this time, all this chasing, he finally had his Yuki. He didn't want this moment to end; he could just stand here like this with him forever.

That is until his stomach growled rather loudly.

A short silent pause afterwards, Haru heard a faint giggle beside his ear. Pulling back, he looked sheepishly up at smiling Yuki.

"Sorry, I guess I haven't eaten anything in nearly 24 hours."

Smiling sweetly at him, Yuki reached for his hand, "I guess we better find something to eat then."

As he took Haru's hand to lead him away, Haru watched him lovingly, so happy that it was only he that could make Yuki smile like that, and would make sure that he would keep smiling like that for as long as they were together.

And Haru had no intention of ever letting him go.

-----

"What do we do now?" Ayame asked, as he sat at a table drinking a cup of tea in the Kitchens with Shigure.

"Enjoy the rest of the weekend!" he replied, watching the cooks making dinner in the background.

"But it's snowing so heavily outside, it's too cold." Ayame whined, glancing out the window to his mortal enemy of a lower temperature.

"Well we're stranded here anyway until the storm blows over." Shigure then suddenly smirked, remembering Ayame's face earlier when faced with: "What about the mudbaths?" he asked.

Ayame blinked at him, "Are you insane Shigure? I'm not going near anything that could get stuck in my hair. Besides I am perfectly happy sitting here like this thank you."

"Oh go on. I'll go if you go." He said, silently challenging his friend.

"You _want _to go in them?" Ayame asked surprised.

"I'll try anyon- anything once."

Ayame thought about it for a moment not entirely sure about this, either not noticing or heard so many times just ignoring Shigure's slip up.

"It's nice and waaaarm." Shigure pushed a little further.

A few moments later, Ayame turned back to him, "Well, warm is good….okay then!!"

-----

An hour later sitting in their room together, Yuki and Haru finished their first meal they had actually had together the whole weekend and now faced a bit of a conundrum. Haru was exhausted after everything that had happened, so both had decided to get an early night, but the question was now certain things had been confessed…

What were the sleeping arrangements?

Both stood at the doorway to the bedroom staring at the two separate beds, still covered in the white drapes that they now knew Ayame and Shigure had arranged, both wondering what the other was thinking. Haru, of course wanting to sleep wherever Yuki would be, was wondering what he'd say if he asked to sleep in the same bed as him, wondering if he was ready for that. Yuki was in fact asking himself that same question, but they had already slept in the same bed several times before, realising it or not, so…it shouldn't be so bad should it?

Both looked at each other at the same time, both somehow knowing what the other was thinking, and as Haru smiled, Yuki sighed,

"Yes okay."

And was enveloped in a hug.

To Be Continued…

**AN:** Once again please give me a little extra time to write the next chapter as I'm still redecorating at home, thanks again!!!


	27. Merged Heart

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Konie**** Hime** – lol Did you really cry? Omg it must have been really sappy then! Lol

**Hakudoshi-chan** – I KNOW! I keep on writing suggestive things like that making it seem like Aya and Shigure hints, but, but, BUT! I dunno if he means it or not know! I don't think he does, it's just Shigure being Shigure, I've confused myself with whether or not I mean it when I write it lol.

**Ropponmatsu**** III** – LOL I hope you quickly informed your friend of who he is, and who he wants to be with hehe ;). I've created quite a few original characters in my other stories, but I think Kane is my favourite. Well he would be, he's the only gay character I've created hehe!

**Kage**** Ohkami** – FLUFFNESS! I love writing fluffness, it makes you so warm and happy inside (hearts start floating around head).

**Serpencencia**– Hey, you could be getting a split personality like Haru! WAHOO!

**Love Haru Fanclub** – LOL You review came through twice, dunno why, but hey, makesit look like I've got even more reviews! YEY! Heheh, Haru can be so sappy.

**K. A. Maples** – Damn, and here I was thinking that that would distract you enough! ;)

**Deadly Wispers** - :) It's still gonna be a secret for a while looongeerrrrr!

**D&G** – Yeah that's what is said to her! Very bishie-like picture, and to think that's the first time she's drawn an anime character too! She's so good! LOL Kane will be pleased he has a growing fan, don't worry, he's not going to do anything, he's just annoyed with himself he told Yuki to go after Haru when he still likes him.

**Jessiegurl43953** – LOL Nearly every reviewer has said about Shigure's slip-up, I only changed that at the last minute too! I thought I hadn't done anything silly funny in a while so I re-read my chapter and saw if I could change anything and put that in.

**Ivy** – (keeps mouth shut about anything to do with Black Haru alone in bed with Yuki)………..

**Pupret**** Master** – Thank you!! :)

**Desolation and Restoration** – Aw yey! Chibi drawings!!

**basketcases02** – Wahoo! A non-sapper liked it!! Yey!!!

**Moonlit Wanderer** – Argh, I remember school all to well, I send my condolences! I do try and keep within a one week update, 2 at the max, but it's very difficult when you work full time. Thank you for being patient either way!! :)

**Gia**

**anonymouslyLabled**– hehe, I think I'm driving every slightly insane with all these secrets still yet to be revealed. I like a romantic Haru, as you said it's something his White personality would do cos he just loves Yuki so much, where as his black side….well….let's leave it as that shall we? ;)

**Kitsunes****-Rose** – lol It's quite entertaining to be in the midst of your conversations between you two. If I get a chance I'll read that fic, but I rarely read now, I have barely time to write so I think you'd prefer I'd finish this first, hehe. And YEY! Kane has _two_ fans now! (that sounds so pathetic, hehe, poor Kane.)

**NeuroticSquirrel** – OoOoOOoOOoo I don't know what to do!!! Quite a few people have asked me to do Shigure and Ayame in this fic too, but I really only started writing for Haru and Yuki!! Sorry, I know your not the only one to have asked to do them as a pairing, but if I ever do it will be in a different fic, I only want to do Yuki and Haru in this one.

**TheHomicidalManiac777** – I'll try, but work and decorating doesn't leave me much time.

**riversprite77** – Aw thank you!! I know exactly when I am going to tell you all about Haru's little item, and I'm afraid to say….it isn't gonna be for a while!! :)-

**kaesaku** – Heheh, nope, not ending yet, still a few things to sort out yet.

**Soul Catcher** – NECKLACES!! Mine's still broken (actually I can't find it now I've moved my room about so much with the painting, but I'm sure it's around somewhere). Heheh, I love doing Shigure's little perverted lines.

**foxgrl991** – lol Apparently you're the fourth person I'm killing, sorry, but you're gonna have to continue dying for a while!

**minnermon** – LOL Yes, Kyo is alive, and being 'lovingly' cared for by Kagura. NOPE! I ain't gonna tell ya!!....yet…

**Sorrowful Memory**

------

**AN:** The Zodiac Kanji necklaces Haru bought you can actually get. Go to www . japanimation . com , look under Jewellery, than Chinese Zodiac and those very necklaces are there. I bought 3 of them, one for me and one for my two best friends, 2 rats and 1 ox, quite convenient huh, hehe.

**AAN:** May I point out that this is ONLY a Yuki and Haru pairing fic, but still, for those who like Shigure and Ayame, you should like this chapter ;)

**------**

**Chapter 27: Merged Heart**

There were some things that should never be put together. Some things that should never be in the same place at the same time. Some things that were just not meant to be.

Two of these things…were Ayame and mud.

"No! No I've changed my mind!!"

Currently the silvered haired clothes designer was torn between running away very very fast from the gooey mud awaiting him, or giving in reluctantly to his best friend's face of wanting to try this out, saying it "Would be no fun on my own!"

His only exit was being blocked by that said best friend, and the only other door led to the springs outside where the snow storm was still coming down. He definitely wasn't going to go that way, although as a random bubble escaped sloppily from the mud, and Ayame cringed, that outside door was starting to look more welcoming then what was in here.

-----

Now they were 'official', although that still felt strange to say it, Yuki had suddenly become incredibly shy about the whole situation, and was annoyed at himself for being so because it just wasn't like him. The sound of running tap water came from the bathroom where Haru was, while Yuki simply lay underneath the bedcovers, pulled up right over his nose for his shyness kicking in. He noticed what he was doing and quickly shoved the covers away again so they were half way down his chest instead. There was absolutely _nothing_ to be shy about, they had done this before, _nothing_ had changed!

At least, thinking that made it a little easier.

Yuki lay there staring up at the ceiling wooden beamed ceiling, his thoughts temporarily focusing on his brother. The man was _such_ an idiot, he should have _known_ Ayame and Shigure was behind all of this right from the moment they arrived, what with no one else being here, all conveniently booked just for the two of them with no other guests. He supposed at the time he had been thinking about Haru too much to notice all the strange goings on throughout their time here, and come to think of it, one of the maids never did look quite feminine enough. Oh well, there was nothing he could do to change what had happened now, not that…he particularly wanted anything to change now. Yuki looked across at the closed bathroom door, his lips smiling softly knowing who was behind it. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing they had arranged this, maybe…maybe he might say something to Shigure.

But Ayame, forget it!

-----

"Aya you must over come your fear!" said Shigure, kneeling by one of the mud baths looking over at his half terrified looking friend standing by the now guardless door, only to find it now locked anyway.

"But 'Gure! I don't want to get my hair covered in that!!"

Ayame had resorted back to his precious hair excuse, not even wanting to think about what kind of a state it would get covered in mud like that.

"We can put your hair up." Shigure argued, walking round one of the baths aiming for his friend, looking all too innocent.

Ayame knew this look all to well, and knew exactly what he was going to do, "Don't you dare push me in there!!"

Shigure just grinned and ran over to his friend, Ayame bolting out the way of the out stretched hands wanting to ruin his not only his hair but apparently his clothes now as well.

And that was unforgivable!!

"Come now Aya! It'll be fun!"

"It will not be fun I am _not _going in there!!!" before Ayame suddenly made a mad rush for the doors leading outside.

To the snow.

And the freezing cold.

_He wouldn't would he?_

"Aya wait you're going to—"

But before he could say another word, he slipped at the side of one of the baths, and if Ayame wasn't already outside the door, would have seen his friend now disappear into a bath of mud.

-----

This was a very very bad idea.

Okay, Yuki had actually agreed, he had actually said _yes_ to them sleeping together, in the same bed that is, and now the one time were Haru could simple snuggle up to him quite perfectly contently with Yuki's consent, his Black side decided to try and struggle through instead. Haru, both hands at the side of the sink, had his eyes squeezed shut trying to will his darker personality away.

_Hehehehehehh__, we're all alooooone! He's all ours now! He can't say no to us anymore…_

No, no, no no no he would _not_ let this side through! But the more he thought about just the two of them, yes all alone, yes willing, his White side was beginning to betray him by agreeing!!! This wasn't good, because as Haru turned to open the bathroom door, his mind was set on not being contented enough with just cuddling. As he opened the door, Yuki lying there staring up at the ceiling, his bed shirt slightly un-done at the top, his arm lying on the pillow behind his head, Haru found himself enchanted with the beauty laid out before him.

And apparently so was his black side.

Yuki turned his head towards him when the bathroom door had opened, and was about to say something when he stopped. The look in Haru's eyes as he stared at him…

…Oh no.

"No," Yuki began to sit up preparing for what he knew was happening, "No Haru WAIT—"

Haru jumped him, pinning him to the bed with a rather insane looking grin on his face,

"Heheh, you're all mine now!" he growled, before leaning down for a forceful kiss, Yuki struggling to gain control underneath Haru's black sided strength.

But the worrying thing was, was that Yuki wasn't struggling as much as he used to, wasn't resisting as much as he should be, in fact, as Haru held him so close, kissing him so deeply, Yuki felt himself melting into the soft bed beneath him, and could feel his heart start to beat faster at the touches. His eyes closed dreamily, letting himself get lost in the sensations he had never felt before, but seemingly perfectly happy to now with Haru, Black or White.

It was when Haru's hand started roaming underneath his shirt when he began to panic.

Panic because he wasn't stopping it.

Eyes now wide open at the feeling of the hand wandering over his chest, Yuki tried to raise his own hand to at least _try_ and stop him, but was still unable to move from underneath Haru's grasp, his wrists being held down as Haru continued to obsess over Yuki's lips. As Haru finally pulled back, he looked down at the now disheveled looking Yuki and smiled, running his tongue over his own lips,

"You really are much tastier." He said, referring back to when he was ill in Yuki's bed and 'attacked' him.

Yuki blushed at that, and looked away. It was ridiculous how Haru could affect him like this now.

_What the…? _

As Yuki had looked away in embarrassment towards the patio doors, he saw another face looking back at him!! The doors suddenly opened, letting a blast of freezing wind and snowflakes engulf the room for a moment, before whoever had opened the door closed it behind them, and was then swallow up in a batch of smoke and disappeared.

The two boys watched wide eyed as the snow finally died down, and one small, silvery snake emerged out of the pile of red clothes on the ground, slithering over to the room door.

"Don't mind me," came the voice from the snake, "Just continue doing what you were doing!" and slithered out of sight through the door.

Both Yuki and Haru watched it disappear and stared the door for a moment. The silent moment passed, before Haru spoke.

"What _was _I doing?"

For White Haru had now returned.

Yuki smiled, quite relived for once at his brothers timing, and instead pulled Haru towards him so they were lying together side by side, "We were going to sleep remember?"

"…Oh yeah." Haru replied, although he didn't sound too convinced.

Funny, he was sure he'd just missed out on something very tasty, even though he had already had dinner.

Still, he wasn't complaining. He turned over on his side to lie right up close to Yuki. He loved to just be close to him like this, draping one arm over his chest as he snuggled up to him. He took one of Yuki hands and intertwined their fingers as they lay there, Haru's head on Yuki's shoulder, perfectly content. Hugging Yuki was his second most favourite thing to do.

Kissing him was of course, the first.

-----

A snake form Ayame slithered through the hall ways, back to the mud baths to get Shigure back for making him go out into the cold. He would bound to still be waiting for him there, so he'd hide until he transformed back, sneak up behind him, and push him into the disgusting stuff instead. Sliding back the door just an inch with his tail, Ayame peered round the corner to make sure Shigure wasn't looking. From where he was he couldn't see much, so slithered through underneath one of the massaging tables. He still couldn't see Shigure, maybe he went back to their room after all? Hmm, but Shigure wasn't one to give up, so Ayame ventured out a little further over to one of the ridges near the mud baths to get a better view of the room.

That was when a hand suddenly flew out from one of the baths and grabbed the defenseless snake, and Ayame found himself submerged in the mud he had been so desperately trying to avoid.

"Hhehehe! I told you I'd get you in here!" came the voice that belonged to the hand.

Ayame looked up to see a mud covered Shigure, still in his clothes after falling in, sitting there grinning like the idiot he was. Ayame, now covered in mud right up to his head, couldn't really do much but sigh, defeated.

"Shigureeeee," he whined, "If I transform back while in here I will hold you personally responsible for paying for my hair recovery treatment."

"Oh stop worrying!" Shigure smiled, letting Aya rest on his palms so he didn't sink into the mud.

"Well…it is warm I suppose." Ayame said sleepily, feeling his reptile instincts kicking in as the warmth seeped into his skin. It…it was rather nice, maybe he could do this just once. But he wouldn't let Shigure trick him again!!

Until next time anyway.

"Hey look." Said Shigure, looking out towards the doors heading to the outside. The howling wind that had been filling the room suddenly stopped, and through the windows could see that the snow was getting lighter, the smaller white fluffy bits illuminating from the yellow lanterns outside, "Looks like its passing over."

"Oh _finally_!" Ayame said relived, wishing every winter away as soon as it came, "Can we leave tomorrow morning? I don't want to stay in the cold anymore."

"But it's not cold in here."

"Nor do I want to sit in mud for the rest of day either." Ayame stated bluntly, letting his feelings known once again on the issue.

"There's always the hotsprings."

"But that's outside in the cold."

"Well that would be why they call them _Hot_springs."

Ayame looked back to his friend, seeing that same pleading puppy dog look on his face again when he was trying convincing him to come into the mud baths. It was a look that if you didn't say yes too usually meant you'd be on the receiving end of either a practical joke or a comedic revenge plot, as he had just experienced.

"Oh yes, alright, but only in the morning!"

As Shigure smiled his gratitude, Ayame suddenly started struggling in the mud, trying to get back to the edge, "Aya…?" Shigure asked, slightly worried.

"Get me out of here! Put me on the side please Shigure put me on the side!"

"Why?"

_POOF!_

In another explosion of smoke the Snake disappeared, and in its place sat a very worried looking Ayame.

"Errr…" Shigure began, before Ayame…

"MY HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR!!!"

-----

He couldn't help it, he just couldn't stop looking at him. Haru had woken up again about one hour later, and now his head rested in his hand as he propped up on his elbow, staring down at his Angel. He had his Yuki, he had finally managed to wear away the barricade Yuki had placed around his heart. He was in love with him so deeply, he'd do anything for him. He traced one finger down Yuki's exposed neck and leant in to kiss him gently on the cheek, as the unaware form slept on.

"I love you…" Haru whispered in the darkness, "I'm so happy you love me too."

A very sleepy hand moved from lying across his stomach and wrapped itself across Haru instead, as Yuki's head tilted towards him in his sleep.

There were only two real occasions where Haru's two personalities agreed with each other. 1), was with Akito, but that was something that was to be forgotten, and 2) was how much he loved Yuki. Black and White were opposite in everyway. White the carefree, gentle, adoring side, Black the fierce, deadly dominating, and most likely slightly insane side, but when it came to Yuki, it was liked they had a merged heart, a Black and White heart.

And all of it belonged to Yuki.

-----

It had been a long, long, looong night for Kyo. He dreaded to think what the state of the downstairs house looked like now. He had, once again, point blankly refused to let Kagura wash his back in the bath for him, and had spent quite literally hours afterwards being chased around the house. Once he had managed to safely secure himself in his own room, blockading the doors and windows with whatever he could find, Kagura had spent the next few hours destroying the house. Normal he was awake very early every morning, but today, at 10.58am, Kyo was still fast asleep.

"WAHH!"

That was until an almighty crash suddenly came from somewhere outside his window, and Kyo shot out of bed so fast that he hit his head on the shelf above.

"Oi! Be careful up there!!" came a man's voice from outside his window, so rubbing his now sore head, Kyo wandered over to see one of builders standing outside ordering the rest of his minions about working on Haru's room.

"These guys work on a Sunday?" Kyo mumbled, walking over to his wardrobe, moving it out the way, and opening his door.

He walked over to Haru's new room, the door wide open with blue plastic mats on the floor to collect and stray dust, and two builders inside working on the walls. Taking a peek inside, he was surprised to see that it was nearly finished!! They hadn't been working on it for that long though.

"Hey." Kyo said, getting the attention of one of the younger ones nearer him, "You nearly done?" he asked slightly surprised.

"Yeah, well, we are getting paid extra for this job, so we thought we'd get it done as soon as possible. Besides, no one likes to work over the Christmas period."

Kyo frowned. Why was Shigure paying them extra? He then noticed what this builder was doing, "What's with all the shelves?"

The young builder in question was currently putting up his 7th shelf around the room, "It's what was asked," he replied, looking back to the nail he was hammering into the wall, "For all the books apparently."

_Books?__ Haru?_

"Right." He said, frowning again and turning away. What kinda weird plans where they following?

"KYOOO!"

Kyo froze on the spot as Kagura blocked his exit down the stairs, "Here's your morning breakfast!" she said sweetly, holding out a tray of all sorts of delicious edibles.

Well, at least she'd calmed down now.

"Yeah great." He said unenthusiastically, taking one step, slipping on one of the blue mats, and sliding straight towards her.

"MY KYO WANTS A HUG!!!" Kagura cried gleefully, throwing the tray into the air and catching her Kyo flying towards her.

"GET OFF ME!!"

Luckily at this point in time the phone rang, saving Kyo from a probable early grave at the way Kagura was hugging him, and, with her still clinging to him, dragged her down the stairs to answer the phone.

"Yeah what?!" Kyo demanded, trying to pry Kagura off his arm.

"WHERE'S SHIGURE!??!? HE WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL ME WHERE IS HE?!?"

Kyo held the phone away form his ear before he went deaf from Mii's screaming.

"He's not here, he went away for the weekend somewhere."

"WHAT!? Grrrr how can he do this too me his deadline was supposed to be TODAY!!!!"

"Geez calm down I can give you a number for him."

"GIVE IT TO ME!!! NOW! GIVE ME THAT NUMBER!!"

"KYO DON'T IGNORE ME!!" came Kagura's voice.

One ear had Mii screaming at him, the other had Kagura's. Neither one was gonna back down, and Kyo's temper was rising.

"I'M GONNA KILL HIM WHEN I GET HOLD OF HIM!!"

"KYO STOP BEING SO MEAN!!"

"…….gggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRR SHUT UP!!"

To be continued…


	28. Sideline Story

Thanks to me reviewers! Whoa this is scary to think this fic has been viewed over 23,000 times!!!! O O

**Hakudoshi-chan** – lol Well, Kyo's reaction is yet to come, but at the end of chapter 14 Akito kinda gave it to whole guilt thing, so that was about it with him. And no, I'm sorry, but I'm not doing Aya and Shigure as a couple, just, them being them, enough flirting for those who like them as a couple to think of them as a couple, but they are not actually going to be. Soooryyyy!!

**anonymouslyLabled**– lol Save The Hair. dreamy sigh Aww, long haired Bishies, SO nice.

**Ropponmatsu III** – lol My best friend is worried your picture is gonna be so much better than hers, especially now your 'brilliance' side is kicking in. Aw, I'm still excited to see how you imagine him tho! Wow, I've been getting nearly 30 reviews for each chapter in the last few chapters, to hit 400 would be like MEGA wow! Everyone says they always prefer writing Black Haru, but I like wiring his White side! I just like fluffness too much I think, hehe!

**Konie Hime** – lol No more crying, only happiness now. What's your job?

**basketcases02**

**TheHomicidalManiac777** – Yes for some reason I was in a very Ayame mood when I wrote that chapter (yes my moods are set by Bishies. Most of the time I am in a Shigure frame of mind, as apparently I am the female reincarnation of him ;))

**Moonlit Wanderer** – lol DEFINITELY remember school being _just _like that!

**Desolation and Restoration** – I think I'm a bit obsessed with cuddling actually, IT'S JUST TOO CUTE AND CUTE THINGS RULE!

**D&G** – LOL Actually, when I wrote that, I just could see everyone getting into the make out scene, then when Ayame 'slithers' in everyone going NOOOOOO! LOL Ah yes, the shelves, yet another mystery I will not indulge for a while…same for the item I'm afraid ;)

**Jessiegurl43953** – lol I'm not gonna tell ya now what they're for am I?! Sorry it seemed shorter, it was actually longer than the previous chapter.

**Kitsunes-Rose**

**Deadly Wispers** - ……How can _shelves_ be perverted?! (tries to think of any dodgy things you can do with shelves……)….like _what_?! lol

**K. A. Maples** – Gr, I was so annoyed when they banned NC-17 rated fics off of here! Then again, particularly for Fruits Basket, I haven't found any decent ones anyway.

**Kage Ohkami** – No they're not an item, there just being them. But I guess I put enough stuff in for fans of them to imagine they are together if they want, but no, technically they're not.

**Tears of Griever** – LOL Thank you!

**Sorrowful Memory** – Grr, damn separators, made it look really stupid!

**Miss British Teacakes** – lol I'm afraid to say, Kane is not gone just yet, hehe.

------

**AN:** You know I'm sure the only reason people are still reading this is to find out what Haru's secret item is, hehe.

------

**Chapter 28: Sideline Story**

For a change, it was Yuki who woke up first late on Sunday morning. Opening his jewel coloured eyes, he came face to face with Haru's sleeping face, the morning light streaming through the glass patio doors, the storm now over and nothing but the light warmth of the sun seeping through the trees.

For a split second, Yuki almost jumped away when he found Haru so close, but soon remembered what had happened, to Haru, and between the two of them as well. Everything had suddenly moved so fast, everything had changed so quickly, and what was more strange was that Yuki had settled in and accepted being with Haru like this so quickly too! Well, then again, considering they had slept in the same bed together nearly every night since Haru had arrived, with or without realising it, it probably didn't feel that different anyway. Still, it just felt…right, being with Haru, it felt like something Yuki had missed all his life, something he had never been allowed to feel before, something he had always wanted but had never received it until now. That day he had reached out for Ayame as a child was the last day he had tried to obtain any affection, any love, anyone to turn around and notice he was there. After that moment was when he changed into the quiet, still person that he had been. He didn't try anymore, there was no point, Akito had been right all along, no one wanted him, even his own brother turned away the one time he needed someone to hold him. So he didn't try, he just existed, just stayed alive. When Haru had confronted him that day, when he yelled and screamed at him for being the selfish rat making everyone believe that he was the stupid one, Yuki couldn't have cared less. But he could see that Haru was suffering, so why make someone else suffer over his worthless life? So, he had asked him that was true, if he really was stupid, if everyone was right. The look in the younger boys eyes then changed, he looked away, realising that, actually, they were wrong, he wasn't stupid, he didn't have to believe what they say, he knew what he was like truly, they didn't know him, what right, what _proof _did they have to call him stupid?! Yuki had done for Haru the one thing he needed, for someone to look him right in the eye and say that he wasn't the idiot everyone else made him believe, to make him feel right inside, for someone to understand what he was going through. He had done that for Haru, now it would seem Haru had done the one thing Yuki needed. He had needed someone to tell him that he wasn't worthless, he had needed something to live for, he had needed someone to say, that out of all others, they loved _him_. Akito had been wrong after all, he wasn't worthless, he had found his something to live for, he had found his someone to say they loved him, and knowing this now, having kept on rejecting Haru in the first place completely baffled him.

He had been pushing away the one thing he wanted, and if anyone was stupid, it was he to be doing that for so long.

-----

Unfortunately, after last nights little mud incident, Ayame had locked himself away in a different room to remedy his ruined hair, leaving Shigure alone for the night. As much as he loved Aya's company, this gave him some much needed time to write down some notes that had come of use during their time here, keeping Mii's beloved camera close to hand. In the morning, when he had found Ayame had still not returned, Shigure decided to go and look for him, and also to check up on the two little love birds they had brought together.

Wandering through the reception area, one of the maids behind the counter suddenly called out to him.

"Excuse me sir, I have a phone call for you." She said, keeping her hand over the sound receiver on the phone.

"For me?" Shigure asked, as he took the phone from the girl. Placing it to his ear, he cleared his throat, "Cupid Shigure speaking, from love to lust, I cover all areas!"

"SHIGURE WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU SHOULD BE HOME WORKING NOT ENJOYING YOURSELF!!!!!"

"Ahh Mii, it seems no matter where I go your eagle eyes always seem to find me."

"WELL WHAT ELSE DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO!!! YOU NEVER STAY IN ONE PLACE LONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET ANY WORK OUT OF YOU!!! WHERE'S YOUR MANUSCRIPT?!? WHERE IS IT WHERE IS IT WHERE IS IT!!!!!???"

Shigure held the phone away from his ear, a perfectly happy little smile on his face waiting for Mii to finish.

"Now now my little muse there is nothing to worry about! I've finished that manuscript, it's on my desk, and, you'll be pleased to know, I've got an idea for my next book too!" he said proudly, expecting praise for being so quick and efficient for a change, but all he got was:

"WHAT!?! YOU'RE STARTING ANOTHER ONE!! YOU THINK I'M GONNA SIT THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE OF BEING YOUR EDITOR AGAIN oh but they do sell pretty well but OH SHIGURE PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME SUFFER ANY MORE PLEEHEHEHHEHEEEESSSE!! IF YOU'RE GOING TO START ON A NEW ONE PLEASE FINSIH IT ON TIME!!"

"But of course Mii! You know I always finish my books on time, I just…like to play a little." He said all too innocently, as Mii finally gave up and burst into tears, "Well, I must be off now, have things to do!" he said, leaving Mii to cry as he gave the phone back to the girl behind the counter.

As she turned away to back to her filing, Shigure continued on his search for Ayame, walking round a corner, and walking straight into…someone female.

-----

Slowly Yuki slipped out of Haru's warm embrace and sat at the edge of the bed. At least, he attempted to sit at the edge of the bed, when suddenly his neck was yanked backwards as his necklace had got caught on Haru's. Managing to stop in time before he bashed his head right against Haru's, Yuki careful untangled the necklace and sat back. He looked out towards the patio doors to the gently bubbling hotspring outside, and grabbing a dressing gown from inside the wardrobe, walked over and opened the patio doors, and despite the glaring sun found a chilly air greeting him as he stared out over the deep snow left after the storm.

Somewhere to the left there was a faint voice coming from outside.

Peering round the corner, all Yuki saw was more white, so just stood there staring out into the trees, arms crossed to keep the warmth in his body, but as he stood there, he felt another pair of arms cross over his own, and a familiar chest pressed up against his back.

"It's cold standing here." Said a sleepy voice, as Haru nuzzled Yuki's hair by his neck. Yuki closed his eyes and smiled softly, leaning a little into Haru's embrace.

Yes, he had definitely found his person worth living for.

They only stood there together for a moment when Yuki opened his eyes again and frowned, for that voice he heard was getting closer. Looking round the corner once more, a black dog suddenly leapt straight at him, paws on his chest causing him to fall backwards directly back onto the bed squishing Haru underneath.

"I'M SOOORRRYYYYYYYYYY!" came the voice Yuki had heard, now full blast, as Ritsu's mother came flying through the porch.

"I already said there's nothing to worry about!" said the Shigure dog, as he flew through the bedroom door, Ritsu's mother chasing after him, finally managing to grab him by the scruff of the neck, and shaking him from side to side.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'M SORRY!!! I wasn't looking where I was going OH THE SUFFERING I'VE CAUSED YOU! It's all my fault really I'm so sorry it won't happened again oh please forgive me I'M SORRY AHHRGAHAHAHHHHHHH!!"

"Qit's alqright." Came Shigure's strangled voice, as he was squashed into a bear hug so tight if it wasn't for the fur on his face he would be turning blue right now.

Yuki meanwhile was trying to get up off the awkward position he and Haru had fallen back onto the bed in, but was having a slight problem as Haru had found having Yuki's back pressed right up against him was a very lovely feeling, and was now point blankly refusing to let him go.

"HARU!"

"I'M SOOOORRYYYYY!"

"Qhelp meqe."

"I loooove Yuki!"

-----

"Kane, sweetie…what's this?"

"Mm?" Kane said, a mouthful of noodles as he looked up to see his mother holding the pink and purple maids dress he had bought Yuki.

"ARGHHHH!"

-----

"Aya?................Ayyyaaaaaaaa?"

Shigure had wandered around, in, and through the resort about four times, and could not find Ayame anywhere! He knew he was sensitive about not being seen in public when his hair was a mess, but he couldn't just disappear of the ends of the Earth! He knew he hadn't gone home because his clothes were still in their room. Shigure stopped walking and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, _Now, if I was Aya, where would I hide…?_

-----

_How the **hell** did she find that dress!?!_

Kane stormed down the snow covered streets, the dress back in its pink and white bag, heading back to Ayame's shop. He had hidden that at the very back of his wardrobe, under a pile of other clothes he never wore. What did she think she was doing routing through his things like that!! Oh, actually, she did mention something about collecting for a charity bag that had come through the door…and the clothes he had used to hide it he never really did wear anymore…._oh crap that was a **stupid **place to hide it!!_ There was no point in keeping it now anyway; with any luck he'd be able to return it. The shop finally in sight, Kane ran up to it, put his hand on the door ready to open it,

…and ran straight into it.

It was closed.

_Of course it's closed, it's a Sunday_ he thought, annoyed at himself. Well, he wasn't going back home with it, and he couldn't return it, but it seemed a waste to just throw it away. Maybe if there was a way he could just get it back to Yuki's brother………

…._I KNOW!_

-----

After they had eaten an early lunch, and had been informed by the hostess the coach to pick them up would arrive around 4.30pm, Yuki and Haru had decided to spend the rest of the day in the Hotsprings. However, Yuki was becoming a little nervous when the realisation hit him that both of them would have to strip down to go into the springs, and Yuki wasn't sure on how to go about this, not knowing if it would seem rude to ask Haru to look away or not now they were, well, how they were.

Haru however just took his clothes of right in front of him without a second thought.

Yuki, blushing bright red, quickly looked away to give Haru some privacy, whether he liked it or not! He wasn't ready for _this _part of a relationship yet! Haru looked at Yuki through the corner of his eye, blushing away by the wall, and grinned inwardly.

He was just so damn cute!!

Walking out the patio doors and over to the spring, Haru slowly climbed into the hot water and made his way over to one side, sitting there happily waiting for Yuki, who was still standing at the back of the room. For Yuki, this was starting to feel really strange. This would be first time they would be, well, 'lack of being clothed' together since Yuki had said he loved him. It felt different; probably more on the lines of worry of what Black Haru would do in the Hotspring now he knew he could touch Yuki, to some extent at least.

Yuki disappeared out of Haru's sight for a moment, and returned by the open patio doors in nothing but one of those small white towels around his waist. Yuki frowned, "Stop looking at me like that." he said nervously, teetering at the edge of the Hotspring just outside their room, as Haru was up to his neck in the water already waiting for Yuki to join him.

"Like what?" he asked honestly.

"Just…just stop it!"

Yuki had become very nervous now, his protective snapping angry-but-not-really-angry-just-annoyed-cos-he's-embarassed-for-a-reason-he-doesn't-really-know-why attitude showing through.

-----

Perhaps Ayame had gone to check up on Yuki? Walking through their door, Shigure noticed Yuki standing just outside the glass doors near the Hotspring, his back towards him.

A very wicked idea suddenly formed in his head.

& & & &

"Please come in?" Haru pleaded with the ever blushing Yuki as he still stood at the side of the springs, holding his towel in place and absentmindngly twirling a corner of his towel with his fingers.

"Yes alright." He snapped, still looking away in embarrassment.

"Nope I guess he's not in here."

"Huh?" the two boys chorused, when suddenly Yuki found the towel around his waist whipped away from him and without another thought leapt into the spring to cover himself up, as a laughing Shigure ran back inside their room and out into the corridor, before Yuki could figure out what was going on and come after him, although by now he doubted he be able to go anywhere…

"Heheheheeee, Yuki!!" purred a Black Haru, grabbing Yuki around the chest from behind as Yuki struggled to try and crawl out of the Hotspring and back to their room.

In a midst of waves and splashes and yells as Haru continued to try and grope every possible part of him, Yuki began to think that he must find out a way of putting this side of Haru at bay, something that would just snap him back to his nice and placid White self. As Haru's hands suddenly dipped below the water, Yuki practically shot over to the other side of the spring.

This was going to be an interesting last few hours here, and thanks to Shigure, it looked like he would be spending it with a lusted up Black Haru, and now found himself circling each other in the springs like a lion getting ready to attack its prey, just waiting for one to move.

Forget thanking him, he was going to maim Shigure.

& & & &

"Oh ho, now then ladies, it really doesn't take much doing, here, use this shampoo, I find it always brings it out so soft and delightful to touch."

Shigure stopped in his tracks and put his ear to the door he had just passed, that voice had sounded like Ayame's, but, it couldn't have been, this was the mud baths he'd been so desperately trying to avoid.

"Ahahahahaa! Don't you think it's wonderful?!

"Oh yes Master Ayame." Sighed dreamily what sounded like four girls.

What was Aya doing??! Cavorting around with girls?.......

…..And he didn't invite him!

Shigure slid back the door to find his friend neck deep in one of the mud baths with four girls behind him washing his hair, with about five already empty bottles of shampoo on the floor next to them.

"Oh 'Gure!! I wondered where you had disappeared too!" he said, as the girls behind him giggled as they tended to his hair.

"Honestly Aya, I thought you didn't like the mud?" he said playful, crossing his arms.

"Oh what can I say? I ended up quite liking it!! These lovely girls here offered to keep my hair out the mud for me and have been fascinated by it ever since! So nice of them to recognise beauty when they see it don't you think HAHAHAHAAA! There's plenty of room why don't you join us? It's our last day here you know!"

Hmm, four pretty girls and bath full of mud.

Shigure felt another 'sideline story' inspiration coming on.

To Be Continued…


	29. Journey Home

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Konie Hime** – Hey that's like me, I work in customer service support for car security alarms, I just sit waiting for calls, the rest is reading! :) Unfortunately though my boss can see my computer screen from where he sits so I have to be careful he doesn't catch me.

**K. A. Maples** – I did check there, but I still couldn't find any good ones, maybe I was looking in the wrong place or something. Oh well.

**Deadly Wispers** – lol That sounds like me, my friends say I am beyond the stage of lecturing about what I go through thinking in the day, hehe.

**Gia** – Ah, lol updating, man I know when this is going to end but it seems to be taking forever to get there!

**KuroiCho** – lol Pervert alert!

**Jessiegurl43953** – lol Do his thing huh? Hmm, shame they banned nc-17 fics huh? (evil perverted laugh)

**Hakudoshi-chan** - ....ah, ok, now _I'm_ confused. Maybe I'm reading your review the wrong way but do you seriously not know who Kane is? He's been in like, the whole fic.

**Sorrowful Memory** – I do try! :)

**D&G** – lol hmmm, well, it does involve cross-dressing I can tell you that, but the question is, on who?.......

**Desolation and Restoration** – You know, I think if I was a mum and I had a son, I'd probably raise him to be gay too, hehe, I can see myself being Kane's mum.

**Tears of Griever** – lol Say no more, I've already imagined it (several times before actually ;))

**basketcases02** – hehe,_ I _know how he's going to react....which I suppose is good as I'm kinda writing the whole thing. :)

**Kitsunes-Rose** – LOL Tennis does suck I totally agree. And I'm still stumped on how selves can be perverted!

**anonymouslyLabled** – And none in this one either ;), although I think Kyo's got another thing to worry about now........

**foxgrl991** – Yes! After that sad chapter the funniness has returned!

**Chibi Bailey** – wow, thank you!! :)

**otaku12** – I'ma going alright! Still for a while yet :)

**Raiknii** – Ooo I didn't know about that! How cool I'm 8th!!

**------**

**Chapter 29: Journey Home**

_Ding dong..............................ding dong......................... Ding dong...._

"Yeah what?"

The delivery man looked up, pressing the side of his hand against his forehead to block out the sun, to see Kyo standing on the roof, hands on his hips, glaring down at him.

"Oh, excuse me but, is a Shigure Sohma here?" he enquired.

Kyo jumped down to the ground right in front of him, the man standing back a little in surprise, "He's not here."

The delivery man looked a little worried, looked back to the forest, then back to Kyo, "Well, I've got a delivery for him, would you mind signing on behalf of him?" he asked, holding out the clipboard he was clutching.

Kyo raised a curious eyebrow considering the man wasn't holding any packages, but took the board anyway. Signing it and handing it back, he took another look to make he hadn't missed anything around him and asked,

"What is it?"

"OK YOU CAN BRING THEM THROUGH!"

"Huh?!"

Out from the pathway through the forest leading from the road, four other men came carrying a large bubble wrapped bookcase, followed by another four men carrying a second large bubble wrapped bookcase.

"Hey what—"Kyo started, as the first delivery man held back the front door so the bookcases could get through. As he thought back to Haru's room earlier and the shelves the builder was putting up, only one sentence came to mind;

"...WHAT THE HELL IS WITH ALL THE SHELVES?!?!!"

-----

Yuki walked over and collapsed on his bed, eyes closed relaxing back onto the pillow. Keeping away from Haru when he had turned Black was an exhausting endeavor.

"Heh heh, you little tease, you know want me in there."

And had had to resort to luring him back into their room, out the corridor, before rushing back in and locking the door behind him. Now Haru was outside the room, still Black, trying to tempt Yuki into letting him in again.

Which he wasn't going to do.

"Cool your head Haru!" Yuki shouted back from the bedroom, as he lay there thinking there must be _someway_ of snapping Haru out of his Black side, someway really simple. He'd have to figure it out if he was going to stay with him, he couldn't have him attacking him every five minutes after all.

Although, maybe he should throw a towel out for him first.

-----

It had been a long walk, but Kane finally arrived at his destination. Ok, so he had followed Yuki home a couple of times, just to watch him as he used to do. Pretty handy now otherwise he wouldn't have known where he lived. Walking up to the front door of Shigure's house, Kane raised his hand to knock on the door, and paused. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to let them see him, he doubted they'd be very happy that he used to stalk Yuki. Maybe if he just left it on the front door porch they'd see it and return it. Stepping down, he reached into the bag to take a look at his dress one last time. It was a very pretty dress, shame it couldn't be put to any use.

"JUST GO BACK OUT SHOPPING WOULD YOU IT WAS MUCH QUIETER WHEN YOU WEREN'T HERE!"

"Ohh, but, but Kyo..."

Kane looked to the door with the voices from the other side. He recognised Kyo's voice, the usual grumpy mood, so decided it would probably be best to vacate the area as soon as possible. He didn't want Kyo catching him sneaking around his own home. So, he was about to put the dress back into its bag, when a string of very co-incidental events took place.

First, a gust of the strong wintry wind snatched the dress out of Kane's hand, taking it away up into the air fluttering around the space just outside the house. Second, there was a:

"STOP IT KYO AND COME BACK HERE SO I CAN BRUSH YOUR HAIR!"

Before the door suddenly burst open, a pissed looking Kyo ran through, just at the moment where the wind carrying the dress decided to pull it towards the ground at a super speed, and straight over Kyo's head.

"Err..." Kane began, his hand still in front of him where he had been holding the dress, now looking at Kyo, standing looking stunned and confused, now sporting the pink and purple maids outfit that had someone slipped over his head and into perfect wearing.

The silence was disturbed only by the rustles of the last autumn leaves blowing away in the wind.

"Err, hehehh, I'll...just be going now." Kane stuttered, turning to walk away past Kyo quickly and quietly.

"What..." Kyo growled, not looking at anyone due to the annoyed and embarrassing redness now in his cheeks, "Are _you _doing here?"

Kane laughed nervously once again, "Err, I was just, returning...the dre—"

"This is the dress you made that damn Rat wear?"

_Rat?_ Kane thought, but only for a second, "Yuki, err...yeah?"

Kyo looked up, a mortified expression on his still red face.....

"GET THIS THING OFF OF M—"

"Aww Kyo, you look so _cuuuuute_!" said Kagura, suddenly appearing on the scene, and bringing out of no where a pink bow placing it delicately on top of Kyo's head, "There, now that completes it!" she smiled sweetly, her hands clasped together adoring this 'new look'.

Kagura, being completely oblivious, Kane was the only one to see the steam practically rising out of Kyo's head, and, gulping once, made a swift dash for safety,

"If you could give that back to Yuki's brother, thanks!!" he said nervously, running quickly away into the forest as Kyo's fists clenched tighter and tighter,

"Bye!"

-----

"Whatever you're thinking, stop it."

"I'm not thinking anything, my minds a complete blank."

".......are you _sure_ you're not black anymore?"

"I don't think so."

It had been a long time that Haru had been locked outside their room. His Black side had been particularly persistent this time, but no matter how many creative ways of trying to get Yuki to open the door to him, some that made Yuki blush quite a lot while he lay there waiting, Yuki was just as persistent and did not open the door to the pleading Haru. Now the two of them stood in the bedroom packing their bags to go home, and Haru had been constantly looking at him through the corner of his eye the whole time. Yuki wasn't sure if he was really back to White or not, and was very jumpy at every slight move he made towards him. Yuki finally gave up and glared at him, walking into the adjourning dining area to check they hadn't left anything behind.

Haru smiled his serene little smile and stared into his bag. Everything was going to be alright now, nothing would matter as long as he had Yuki. Staring into his bag, he found his eyes lying on an inside pocket, the pocket where he kept his secret little item away from all prying eyes. Looking back to check Yuki wasn't watching, he un-zipped the pocket to take a little look. Not that he'd really need it anymore, but he'd spent a lot of time making this, maybe he'd keep it as a keep sake of 'before Yuki finally became his boyfriend' days.

Hmm, boyfriend...he liked that.

_What the...?_ Haru's eyes became wide as he searched inside for his item, feeling nothing but empty space,

_IT'S GONE?!!_

-----

_Ding dong....................ding dong..........................ding dong..._

"WHAT NOW!?!?"

The front door was slid back very forcefully as Kyo stood on the other side fuming down at the second delivery man of the day.

"Er..." the young man stuttered at the piercing look in Kyo's eyes, "I- I have a delivery for a Shigure Sohma?"

Kyo eyed the man carefully, the front hallway already cluttered up with the two bookcases from earlier, and seeing no packages around this man either, Kyo was going to be wary of what he signed for this time.

"He's not here, what is it?"

"Um, we're delivering a desk and a bookca—"

"OH NO you don't!!" Kyo suddenly intervened, snatching the clipboard out of the mans hand and storming off down the pathway through the forest to the road,

"Hey, Sir you can't—"

"Hey watch it there kid!!"

Kyo came to a screeching halt as he turned round a tree, almost bashing head first into the side of a bookcase being carried by two other delivery men, this bookcase a little smaller than the other two. The younger delivery man caught up with Kyo and snatched the clipboard back out his hands, straightened his jacket, and held it back out to Kyo,

"Would you mind signing on behalf of him?"

-----

"Are you alright?" Yuki asked, walking back into the bedroom carrying a jumper he had left by the table, to see Haru practically half way under the bed.

"Ouch." At hearing Yuki's voice, Haru had attempted to sit up, not realising he was still under the bed, and had banged the back of his head straight against the wooden under boarding. Crawling back out backwards, he sat on his heels rubbing the back of his head, "Yeah, I just...it doesn't matter."

Yuki blinked at him, stood there for a moment, before walking back over to his own bag and placing the jumper inside.

Haru looked at Yuki from the floor and bit his bottom lip. What would Yuki think if he found it? Where _was_ it?! Well, with any luck, now they were together, he shouldn't think much of it. Maybe he'd think it was cute?.....hmmm, he doubted Yuki would ever call anything cute.

Yuki watched the puzzled expression on Haru's face reflected in a nearby mirror, and smiled.

_He is rather cute._

-----

"Come _on_ Shigure! We have to get back before they do!" said Ayame, standing in the reception area with his suitcase having already called a cab, waiting for Shigure who was currently talking to one of the maids at the corner of a doorframe. She was one of the maids who had _so _kindly kept Ayame's hair our of the mud last night, and whatever Shigure was saying to her she had a small cute blush on her cheeks, Shigure talking away before winking at her, and finally heading back over to Ayame.

"Honestly Shigure," Ayame said, his voice faking that of someone being upset, "I can get quite jealous when you find yourself more interested in another girl than me."

Shigure grinned at him and picked up his own suitcase, just in time as the cab pulled up outside. "Now now Aya, nothing can compare to you my friend."

Ayame swished his hair back a little and winked at him.

"Well, let's get home then," said Shigure, walking out into the cold, "I'm expecting a few bits and pieces at home and need to sort them out before Yuki and Haru get back."

-----

_Ding dong....................ding dong.............ding dong ding dong dingdongdingdong dingdongdingdong dingdongdingdong dingdongdingdong—_

"WHAAAAAAAT?!!?!!!?!?!?"

"IS SHIGURE BACK YET PLEASE SAY HE'S BACK NOW!??!!"

Kyo, _really_ getting fed up with how many people were ringing the door bell today, came face to face with a near to tears Mii, nose to nose with Kyo who took a step back quickly to avoid any further unwanted contact.

"Err, no, he's not here."

How many times had he said Shigure wasn't here today?

Mii stood there for a moment, her eyes wobbling overly dramatically, before her suddenly stood firmly, "Ok, fine!" she said sternly, walking past Kyo into Shigure's office, sitting in his chair and crossing her arms, "I'm staying here until he gets back!"

"What? Hey you can't—"Kyo, began, reaching out towards her before,

"Would you like a nice cup of tea?" asked Kagura, poking her head round the door next to Kyo.

"Oh that would be lovely." Mii sighed relived, as she sat there waiting for her novelist to return to his lair.

-----

"Haru are you _sure_ you're alright?"

Since they had left their room with their bags to wait for the coach to take them home, Haru had been looking at the floor rather intently, as if searching for something, which of course he was, but he couldn't tell Yuki.

"I'm fine." He said, his voice far away as not paying attention, just as the door in front of him swung open straight into his face.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry!" the young maid said, bowing apologetically to Haru sprawled out on the floor holding his nose. Yuki knelt down and took Haru's hand away from his face to make sure nothing was broken. Good, nothing was bleeding.

"Worried about me?" Haru said, as Yuki looked at him wide eyed, before quickly standing up.

"N, no, yes, I am-was, I-." He said stuttered, looking away.

Haru smiled and stood back up, it would seem in front of other people Yuki wasn't quite ready to show any feelings yet.

Haru would make sure that would change soon enough though.

"Ohh, excuse me but, weren't you two part of the Sohma group staying here?" she asked, her hands behind her back almost as if she was hiding something.

"Yes." Yuki replied.

The maid blushed a little, looked away, then back at the two boys, "Oh, would it be possible for you to give this back to Shigure?"

Yuki wondered since when the maids had referred to their guests by their first names, but stopped his thought when the maid brought her hands back out from behind her back and held out something for Yuki to take.

"He, err, left it in the mud baths last night."

_Last night? But we weren't in the mud bath last ni—_

It was then Yuki, and Haru for that matter, both noticed what she was holding out. It was Shigure's digital camera he had borrowed off of Mii. Looking at the blush on the girl's cheeks, the two boys turned to look at each other, both holding the same thought.

_What exactly was he using a camera for in the Mud Baths?_

-----

It had been a long journey home for the two elder zodiacs, the snow storm the night before had knocked over quite a few trees and the traffic was heavy. Still, finally they arrived at the pathway leading through the forest, paid the cab driver, and started back towards the house.

"I wonder, don't you think it's going to be too obvious it's not for him?" Ayame was saying, as Shigure had somehow got lumbered with drabbing both suitcases as Ayame was trying to stay warm walking through the forest all wrapped back up in his fur coat.

"Well, I think it's got to the stage where it's not really going to matter any more for them. Still," Shigure continued, smirking every so slightly, "We still have to see what Kyo's going to think about it all."

As they continued walking, the house soon came in view, and walking towards them was another group of people. Soon the two groups walked past each other, and Shigure stopped.

"Ah, all finished is it?"

The manager of B&B bricks and buildings walked up to him, "Yep, all done, although I do apologise, one the employees mentioned about the, selves, to err, one of the kids here." He said, glaring across at the younger builder who had been talking to Kyo earlier on this morning.

"Oh don't worry," Shigure smiled, "It's alright now anyway."

"Well, that's good then. Everything's paid in advance so we'll just be off, thanks for your business." The manager said politely, walking ahead of the group and grabbing that younger builder by the shoulders.

As Shigure and Ayame continued walking, there was a faint "If you'd cost us that job by talking about that it would have cost it_ your_ job you got it?" "Sorry Sir!!" coming from the builders walking away. Still, that meant that Haru's room was all finished now, just in time for Christmas. Shigure was glad, he hadn't wanted it to be left till after the holidays, dust and mess left about his house, he had that enough already with Kyo and Yuki's fights, Kyo and Haru's fights, Kyo and Kagura's fights, he wondered what kind of a state his house was in now, and Black Haru vs anything fights. Oh and err, Black Haru attacking Yuki flail-about-on-the-floor fights.

Shigure grinned.

"Alright, what the _hell_ is going on!!??!"

As they walked into view, Shigure and Ayame found Kyo standing on the porch glaring at them, surrounded by about four more mahogany bookcases that had arrived.

Shigure put on his most innocent face and walked up to the porch, looking round at the bookcases before standing there looking confused, "I have no idea."

"DON'T LIE!" Kyo screamed at him, entirely fed up with being left with Kagura for the weekend, and now the mystery of all these 'packages' for Shigure turning up.

"Oh dear, they must have sent them to the wrong address." Shigure continued on his innocence rant, Kyo standing there fuming at the Dog.

"Ah so they have arrived!!" said Ayame, joining them after watching Kagura for a moment making a snowman by the side of the house.

"Ohhh, Ayaaaa," Shigure whined, pouting, "You spoiled my innocent façade."

"Hmm?" Ayame said, placing his palm on the side of one of the bookcases and moving down the smooth surface, "Hm, I could use one of these for the shop." He mumbled.

"Lookie look!!" Kagura suddenly shot round from the side of the house, grabbed Ayame's arm, and dragged him back, "Look what someone brought round! Isn't it from your shop Ayame?"

Ayame looked down to see the snowman Kagura had been building was now dressed in the pink and purple maid's outfit that Kane had brought round earlier.

"Oooooohh isn't it darling!!!" was all Shigure and Kyo heard as they stayed round the front of the house. Ignoring them, Kyo turned back to Shigure.

"What is going on? What does Haru need all these bookcases for?!"

Shigure simply smiled all knowingly, raised his eyebrows for a moment, and walked back inside the house.

"SHIIIIIIGUUUUUUUREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"AH! Ah hahaha! Mii!" Shigure said, after her frightening the life out of him jumping out of his office at him screaming at the top of her lungs.

"1! Where is your manuscript it is NOT on your desk, 2! What is your new idea? And 3!, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TOO ME ALL THE TIMEEE!!!" She wailed, before bursting into a fresh array of tears, collapsing to the floor.

With Shigure trying to console a hysterical Mii, and Ayame and Kagura laughing and admiring the fashion the snowman had, Kyo turned back to the forest.

What the heck had he done to live with these complete maniacs?!

-----

Yuki and Haru sat on the coach taking them back home once again. Yuki sat once again staring out the window, his head in his hand as his elbow rested on the side. It was exactly the same as when they had arrived, with Haru sitting next to him cross legged staring up at the ceiling. But, there was one small difference.

Yuki had reached out to hold Haru's hand when they had first got on, and was still holding it now on the journey home.

To Be Continued...

AN: There ya go! Another little hint for Haru's little item!! But I'm still not telling you what it iiiiiiiiis!! ;)-


	30. Feelings

OMG OVER 400 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's so unbelievably cool, SOOOOOO unbelievably cool!! My god never in a million years would I have thought this fic, or any of my fics come to think of it, would ever get his many! THANK YOU ALL!! (allows all reviewers to hug either Yuki or Haru as a reward, their choice, but ONLY hugging ;))

Thanks to my reviewers! Hey, managed to update with in a few days this time!!

**Chibi Bailey** – lol I've lost count how many times people have asked what that item is. Hehe! You'll have to wait! But I can say, not for too much longer.

**foxgrl991 **– (stands clear of rampaging reviewer) Not far to gooo…

**Deadly Wispers** – Not soon, but too long either. ;) and I STILL can't think of anything perverted with shelves. You sure your not just making out you have? hmm? Hmm? HMM??!?!

**Hakudoshi-chan** – OoOoOOoo, I do try and update once every week! Which I have been for the last few chapters!! Sorry.

**Desolation and Restoration**

**K. A. Maples**

**Kage Ohkami** – (looks at the birds)…ooooKaaayyyy.

**Ropponmatsu III** – ROFLMAO!!!! You have NO idea how much I laughed when your review came through!! Could you possible have been any more blunt!! I'd gone to check my email when I had 6 reviews in a row, and after reading all the others, I opened yours to those three words and I think I must have bust a gut laughing!! LOL Ahem, yes well, let's leave your guess at that shall we? (at least you have the nerve to guess something like that, hehe!!)

**Jessiegurl43953** – You've got the right answer, but your calculations of getting there are incorrect…

**Saotome-kun** – Ooo wow! Thank you very much!!

**D&G** – (evil cackle) – Not yet!!.....but not far….

**basketcases02** – nearly every single reviewer has asked yet again about the item, and I will say to you as I have said to them, not telling you yet, but not far till you find out!

**Kitsunes-Rose**

**Konie Hime** – Bookcases? _Very_ soon. Like, how about this chapter? Hehe. I thought I'd already kept people hanging on enough with what Haru's item was, so the bookcase mystery is just a short one.

**Sorrowful Memory** – lol As I've said to everyone else, soon but not yet!!

**mangafreak2273** – Wahey! Thanks for all the reviews!! I could never get into Yugioh, but I've recently bought the first 73 episodes of Inuyasha and got up to the ep when Miroku comes in. Loving it so far!!

**------**

**Chapter 30: Feelings**

Kane had always loved Basketball. From his window in his home he had a good view of the local playing court not to far away, and had taught himself the rules just by watching the older boys plays when he was little, although admittedly when he was older he was watching the boys for an entirely different reason. Still, it was his favourite game regardless, but whenever he tried to join in they'd push him away. He used to keep trying, but in the end there wasn't must point, it was better to walk by and watch rather than get laughed at for asking to play.

"HEY WATCH OUT!!"

As Kane walked past that said Basketball court on his way home from dropping off the dress, he turned to hear a voice coming from the court,

And a basketball smacking straight into his face.

"Argh, sorry about that." Said one of boys running over to fence, "You alright?"

Kane picked himself up from the pavement with his hand to his forehead, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Cool, could you pass the ball back?"

Kane looked down to see the orange ball lying by the side of the road. He wanted to ask if he could join them but, he didn't feel like being laughed at today. Picking up the ball he began to walk away, chucking it over his shoulder without looking, flying over the fence,

And straight through the basket!

----

"Ergh, err, sorry, but it looks like you may have to walk from here, we're not too far away."

Yuki opened his eyes at the sound of the driver's voice running through the speaker system inside the coach. Somewhere along the journey he had fallen asleep, in fact Haru was still asleep, his head resting on Yuki's shoulder. Yuki looked out the window trying to see nearer the front of the coach outside. All he could see was a lot of cars, horns blowing as angry drivers tried to get through the heavy snow on the ground and the traffic caused by…is that a lamppost on the ground? Suddenly a siren was heard coming up behind them, as an ambulance speed past them using the pathway at the side to get through to the car that had skidded on the hidden ice and crashed straight into a lamp post, causing a massive traffic jam filling back right to the junction at the end of the road.

"Haru." Yuki nudged him gently.

"Mm, soft…" Haru mumbled in his sleep, as his arms suddenly wrapping around Yuki pushing him back against one of the seats.

"H-Haru-" Yuki stuttered, as he found himself lying with Haru right on top of him, still fast asleep hugging Yuki close.

"Mmm, hmhmhm," Haru giggled in his sleep, "Hug me…"

Yuki sighed in exasperation. He was about to push Haru up away from him, when Haru's expression suddenly changed to an almost evilly grinning one in his sleep, his hand suddenly running up underneath Yuki's shirt to his back, his Black side taking over his dream,

"Heheh, I bite _hard_--"

WHACK!!

"Huh?" said a White Haru, waking up to find himself on a seat over the other side of the coach, lying upside down his head hanging off the edge of seat near the ground.

Yuki got up and walked over to him, knelt down at the still upside down Haru, eye to eye, and asked with lowered eyelids,

"What exactly were you dreaming about?"

Just then the side door opened and the driver popper his head round the corner, "Sorry, but it looks like we won't be moving for a while. If you want to walk, leave your luggage here and I'll drop it off as soon I can get out."

"Thank you." Said Yuki, half glaring across at Haru as he fell back off the chair onto the floor and stood back up again.

"I don't know," Haru said, thinking, turning back to Yuki, "Why?"

Yuki closed his eyes and sighed, a slight curve to his lips, "Never mind," and took his arm leading him out of the coach to the wintry air outside.

-------

"I'm back!!" said Tohru, taking off her snow covered shoes by the door looking curiously at the bookcases cluttering up the hallway.

"Ahh, Tohru my dear, enjoy your weekend with your friends?" said Ayame, walking into the hallway.

"Ohh! Ayame!" Tohru said excitedly, "Oh if I'd known you were going to be here I would have come home earlier to get dinner started!"

"Tohru? Is that you?" came a voice from the living room, as a head poked round the corner.

"Kagura!!" Tohru once again exclaimed, happy to see all the Sohma's, but now getting into a fluster, "Oh, I'll go start dinner right awa—"

"Tohru Tohru it's alright!" chuckled Shigure walking out of his office, but it was too late.

Tohru had sped through to the kitchen, apron already tied around her waist and a saucepan in her hand. "Huh?" she said, finally acknowledging Shigure had said something.

"We weren't sure what time you'd be back," Shigure continued, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, "So we've already ordered takeout, don't worry yourself."

"Oh but, but—" she started, before she noticed something was missing, "Where's Yuki and Haru?"

"Oh they'll be back soon enough!" he said, but now a little more interested in something else, "So, what did you and your two friends get up too? Three young girl all alone you—"

"SHUT UP before you even START!!" screamed Kyo, as Shigure cowered away a little and laughed nervously.

"SHIGURE!!! What are you doing you haven't finished explaining you're your new idea about!!" said Mii, standing in the doorway to the lounge.

"Ooo, but I need to sort these bookcases out, you can come round tomorrow! I promise I'll be here!" Shigure pleaded.

"Oh no, no no no no no," she repeated, walking over and grabbing Shigure's arm, dragging him back to his office, "You tell me now while I've got you here!!"

"Ohh oo, farewell my friends," he said dramatically, as he was dragged back, his office door closing behind them as a faint "Be gentle, I'm fragile." voice was heard before a very loud, "SHIGURE!!"

-----

Several times during the walk back home Haru had tried to hold Yuki's hand, but every time Yuki would move it away, looking around him nervously. He wondered why. They had held hands at the resort, held hands on the coach, why not now? He reached for his hand again, when he noticed Yuki look up to see a mother and a push chair waiting at a bus stop, and quickly moved his hand away again.

"Why won't you let me hold your hand?" Haru inquired.

Yuki glanced at him only for second, and then looked away awkwardly. _Oh, I see _Haru thought. Yuki was still shy to show any feelings towards him in front of others. Together alone he was alright, but with other people watching…well, this was going to have to change wasn't it?! After all, how could Haru survive without hugging his Yuki during the day?

Especially at school tomorrow.

-----

Kyo sat up on the roof away from the clutter of everyone downstairs. It was getting a little too crowed for this cat, so had decided to wait up on the roof for Haru and Yuki to return. If Shigure wasn't going to tell him what those bookcases were for except that they were going in Haru's room, then he'd squeeze the answer out of Haru instead! It was his room, he had to know!

Speaking of which, coming out into the open snow covered grass in front of the house walked the zodiacs in question. Kyo did his very best to ignore Haru clinging to Yuki's arm, Yuki looking entirely too uncomfortable, and jumped down from the roof straight in front of them.

"What are the bookcases for?" he asked bluntly, crossing his arms not letting them in the house until he got an answer.

Haru stared at him for a moment, "What are you talking about?"

"The bookcases!! Don't pretend you don't know!! They're going in your room!! You don't have that many books!!"

Haru looked past Kyo to the bookcases in the hallway and shrugged, "I have no idea."

"Move out the way you stupid cat it's freezing out here!" said Yuki, trying to edge away from Haru.

Halfway through their walk Haru had given up trying to hold Yuki's hand and had instead grabbed his arm and clung to that so he couldn't shrug away. All the people they had walked past stared at them, Yuki melting with embarrassment every time someone's eyes met his. Deep down a part of him was thinking there wasn't anything to be ashamed about, if he loved Haru then holding hands wasn't much, but it was a little too soon after the whole confession thing, so right now there was a stronger part of him that was simply embarrassed to be showing any feelings at all!

"Shut up you damn rat I wasn't talking to y--!!"

The next few moments were a quick blur as Haru watched Kyo fly backwards, luckily though the already open door, but unfortunately straight into one of the bookcases. Yuki, Haru, Kagura, Ayame and Tohru all watched as the line up of bookcases played dominos, as Kyo crashed into the first one making that one topple towards the second, the sound of splitting wood as all five brand new bookcases crashed to the floor one after the other.

As the dust settled and silence filled the air, Yuki and Kyo glancing at each other, Shigure's voice once again making an appearance behind his office door,

"I take it Kyo's usual prey has return then?"

Opening the door, Shigure came to look upon the disaster that was now his front hallway, the bookcases not only splintered and broken on the floor, but having scrapped down the walls marking them as well. Shigure, a rather large sweat drop running down the side of his head, sighed,

"Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait until I can afford to buy some more for my books."

"_Your_ books?" said Kyo.

Shigure grinned, "Oh yes, that new room that was being built, didn't I tell you? It's my new office!"

"WHAT?!" chorused Kyo and Yuki.

"Huh?" Haru said quietly, "But what about me?"

"Oh I never had any intention of that room being your's…"

Yuki's eye's widened. But, that was going to be Haru's room so he could stay here!

"…I've got too many books as it is and it was getting a little crowded in here…"

Was Shigure saying Haru couldn't stay anymore!? But, but, if he doesn't have that room…

"…Aya and I's plan to get you two together was right from the very start, so no need to look worried Yuki, Haru's staying with you!"

_He can't move out he…!_ Yuki blinked, "Huh?"

This was like déjà vu. The very same expression and very same situation it had been when he had come home that afternoon to find Haru sitting there, Shigure saying he was staying with them and to share Yuki's room until his own was finished, apparently anyway. And it really was the same! Everyone turned to look at him just like they had before, but this time, there was one small difference.

Why the heck had Haru just made a dash for Yuki's bedroom!?!

-----

Of course!! He remembered now!! As soon as Shigure had mentioned staying with Yuki, Haru had remembered where he had left his secret little item!! He had quickly shoved it under Yuki's pillow when he had been ill that night, just before Yuki had brought that pizza up. It would still be there, after all no one had any reason to go into his room while they were gone. As walked up to the bed and picked up the pillow, his face faltered in worry once again.

It wasn't there.

How can it not be there? _No one's been in here._

"Lost something?"

Haru turned around to see Kyo leaning on the door frame, smirking rather all too suspiciously for his liking. Looking back at the pillow then back up over at Kyo, Haru frowned annoyed, knowing exactly who had it now.

"Where is it?"

"Hmph," Kyo sneered, "You're such a weirdo."

The annoyed frown quickly turned into a piercing glare.

-----

As Ayame and Kagura chatted with Tohru about her weekend and theirs, Shigure and Yuki watched them from the hallway.

"I'm sorry about the bookcases." Yuki finally said into the uncomfortable silence between them.

Shigure smiled and sighed, "Oh don't worry about it, living in a house like this I always insure everything the second I buy it." he said, looking around at the mess on the floor. Another silence beheld them before Yuki spoke again.

"One of the maids asked me to give this back to you. I'm not even going to ask." Yuki continued, holding the camera out.

Shigure quickly snatched it out of Yuki's hand, hiding it under his kimono, "Ohhh, opps, did I leave that there?"

Another silence filled the air again before Yuki spoke once again.

"Umm…thank you…for letting Haru stay." He said awkwardly, but Shigure just smiled warmly at him, "And err… thank you for…for the weekend." He was looking away so Shigure couldn't see the redness in his cheeks at the memories. Shigure blinked surprised. Had Yuki just thanked him for that? Smiling once again, Shigure placed his hand on Yuki's shoulder.

"I think you should be thanking Aya Yuki. I may have organised it, but it was his idea."

Yuki looked back to Ayame sitting next to Tohru talking and laughing, as Kagura had started braiding part of his hair. Hmm, saying thank you to Ayame?

"Not a chance!" Yuki said firmly, "It'll only go to his head anyway."

Shigure still smiled, "I'll tell him then."

Yuki spun round to him, "Don't you dare!"

But it would seem Shigure wasn't listening, he was staring up the stairs with a thoughtful look, "Hmm, now my office is built and Haru's staying in your room, maybe we should put some sound damping around your room to keep the noise down for the rest of us."

"……………………….…why?" Yuki glowered.

Shigure turned back to Yuki and grinning stupidly, "After all, two young boys such as yourselves, you'd need a bit of pri—"

"Duck."

"-vacy too…" Shigure stopped and blinked, "Duck?...." he asked Yuki, before looking back up the stairs, "...ARGH!"

CRASH!

"GIVE IT BACK RIGHT NOW!!!"

Kyo, having been practically thrown down the stairs straight onto Shigure, was now being hovered over by a Black Haru glaring dangerously down at the cat.

"Why?! Embarrassed?" Kyo snickered, getting up from the floor and landing a well aimed punch at Haru's stomach, which was quickly counteracted with a kick to Kyo's stomach.

"Yes, definitely need to get some more furniture, a new bed for you and Haru of course, who knows what kind of antics you tw…"

"I take it back!! I'm not thanking you!! Not for anything!!!" Yuki shouted, Shigure continuing on his plans thinking of all the 'noises' that could interrupt the 'peacefulness' of his house, as Kyo and Haru continued to battle to the death, destroying even more of what was left of the bookcases….and the walls….and any ornaments…

-----

"What was that all about?" asked Yuki, walking into the bedroom and sitting down next to Haru after dinner. Dinner which had consisted of tearing Haru and Kyo apart for the evening, wondering what on earth Haru was talking about every time he ordered Kyo to, "Give it back!!"

"Nothing." Had been Haru's reply whenever someone had asked him, even Yuki now.

But before Yuki had a chance to question it further, he was suddenly pulled on Haru's lap, his hand brushing a bang of Yuki's hair out the way before kissing him softly. He couldn't care less if Kyo kept that item, as long as no one else saw it, he could do what he liked with it. He had the real thing now, there was no need for that anymore, although it was kind of annoying it had gone. Maybe he'd get it back from Kyo later so he could keep it as a remembrance, but right now, Yuki was his.

"What the….AAAAAAARRRRRGH!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!"

Yuki pulled away from Haru so fast he nearly fell off his lap when Kyo walked past their still open door way, a look of utter shock and disgust on his face at seeing them kissing, while Yuki's face simply flushed the brightest red it had ever been. As Kyo ran off down the hallway to barricade himself in his room, trying every possible way of removing that image from his mind, Haru simple cuddled the still blushing Yuki on his lap.

He had no problem with other people knowing how he felt about Yuki, besides, even if Yuki wasn't ready to show feelings in front of others, the way he blushed with embarrassment was just too cute!!

To Be Continued…


	31. Winter and Spring

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Hakudoshi-chan** – lol Quite a few people have wondered if it's going to be anything inappropriate, well I'm not gonna here yet am I? hehe!

**Konie Hime** – hehe, he's me!

**Rose Creighton** – (Lies motionless on the floor after all her pokes.) Please don't poke me again!!! Nooooooooooo!!! I've updated I've updated!!!!

**Jessiegurl43953**

**Gia** – hehe, I seem to have made quite a few people squeal.

**Saotome-kun** –I know how it ends!! I wrote the end about 5 months ago lol

**basketcases02** – It's a little difficult to put Kyo thoughts on what the item is, because if he thinks about it then that's going to give away what it is. I'll try and put a bit more in though.

**foxgrl991** – lol Is that a dies from cuteness or a dies from "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ITEM!?!?!" like everyone else?

**Moonlit Wanderer**

**Sorrowful Memory**

**Miss British Teacakes** – Well you're gonna have to wait! Lol But not for long!!

**K. A. Maples** – Not long my friend, not long to find out. And WAHOO!!! 400 POSTS!!

**Soul Catcher** – LOL How did I guess you might say something like that? I hate to break it to you but she is kinda of like, the main character! You are not gonna like Kikyo in Inuyasha when you come back either, it's another Ayaka type girl!!! (cringe)

**Chibi Bailey** – I had a burst of inspiration and wrote that whole chapter in one day.

**Serpencencia** – lol Ok, 1) No the item is not magical. 2) It is not metallic. 3) Neither does it dance. 4) Whether or not your ego needs deflating is something we'll have to find out about later, cos I'm not telling you just yeeeeet!! :)

**Deadly Wispers** – omg I haven't read the Japanese translations!!!! I didn't know Akito had a mum!! Well, obviously he has a mum, but, well, you know. Ooooo interesting!! I've heard about Rin and I already hate her anyway...grrr, Haru you idiot, HELLO!?!?! YUKI!?!?!

**D&G** – LOL Nope, I have to say, his dream was just as perverted as it sounded! Well, it started off all innocent with the "hug me", but just like being awake I would think that his black side would suddenly take over his dream too, so you can imagine what he was dreaming with that line, heheeeee!

**Desolation and Restoration**

**Kitsunes-Rose** – lol Very much something to do with Yuki yes. I will tell you don't worry! Just.....not this chapter...... :)

**C-chan** – You LIVE!!! I'd wondered where you'd gone!! You're the only person I've emailed so you stand out in my mind!

**Twitch **– Hm, tell you what the item is or have Mii bug me forever......hmmm.....I think I'll tell you what the item is, BUT NOT YET!! MWHAHAHAAAA!

**chibichibi-neko**

**anonymouslyLabled**

-------

AN: Aw man I am SO jealous!!! My best friend Soul Catcher, the one who's moved to the US, has made friends with a Japanese guy called Yuki!!!!! ARGH HOW DARE SHE!!! We must all petition to convince her to bring him back, just for me :)

AAN: Just to let you know, not one person has guessed correctly what Haru's item is yet ;) One reviewer guessed in the right direction, but it still wasn't right.

------

**Chapter 31: Winter and Spring**

Mii sat in Shigure's chair, her face serious as she stared at his computer screen, reading the noted manuscript for Shigure's new idea for a novel.

"Well? So what you think?" Shigure asked, standing over her shoulder.

Mii seemed to look stunned for words for a moment, before finally managing to speak, "You're certainly taking a risk Shigure." She said, her eyes wide at what she was reading.

Shigure simply smiled, "Well I thought I'd try a different genre of writing, and that just...seemed to be appropriate!"

"Well, I know you wrote those 'other' kinds of things...but this?" As stunned as Mii seemed to be, her eyes were shining with excitement. _If he can pull this off, I won't tell him to get a hold of his ego next time he says what a wonderful writer he is. _"Do you have any ideas for a title yet?"

"I certainly do. I was thinking of calling it..."

-----

"Hmm, who do you think should go with who?" Ayame asked, holding the letter in his hand that Shigure had just opened that had arrived on Saturday morning.

"Ooo ooo I'll go with Kyo!!!!" said Kagura, her excitement regained since Kyo had barricaded himself in his room.

"Do you think that's allowed?" Ayame asked Shigure.

"Bye bye Mii! I'll give you your camera back in the next week or so okay?!" Shigure was saying loudly as Mii wandered off back home, her eyes still slightly wide and intrigued at Shigure's new idea. Sliding the door shut again, he turned back to Ayame and Kagura. "I don't see why not, she is still two years older than him after all."

"YEY!!" she squealed, "Okay! I'll go home now and ask Hatori if he can go too!"

Shooting up the stairs to Kyo's room, Shigure and Ayame stood and listened to the love full goodbyes she was screaming at him, before happily skipping downs the stairs, waving goodbye to the two elder zodiacs, and walking home.

-----

At the Hotspring it almost felt like a dream, something surreal, something that reality didn't seem to effect. Now he was back however, the fact that he had said he loved Haru really hit home! It became to him that it wasn't just the Hotspring he'd allow Haru to kiss him, that it wasn't just that place of confession that he would have someone to sleep next to him at night. He was back home, back at Shigure's, and it would be from this day on that all those things and more would happen between them.

Yuki loved Haru.

It was still strange to say it, or even think it, but it was getting easier every time. Haru certainly was persistent that's for sure. It had annoyed Yuki when he first began to act like that, but as the years went by he could feel himself giving in more and more, not that he'd ever admitted that until now. Since that day when Haru was 13, when he had hugged Yuki so closely after arguing with Kagura, Yuki had began to feel a strange feeling when Haru was around. He'd look away confused whenever Haru would look at him, he feel happy whenever Haru would walk in the room, and when Haru's 'second' Black side started to appear, he'd start to panic that Haru would do anything, inappropriate, in front of other people. Now he had said he loved him, he still did all those things, still looked away, but this time just shyly, he'd still feel happy when he walked in the room, but this time he would hug him instead, and he'd still feel panicky when he turned Black around him but...ok, well, there wasn't a difference there, he'd still whack him back into White if he did that.

So, as Yuki lay there sitting back against his head board, Haru fast asleep in his arms, he looked out the snow out on the balcony wondering what would happen from now on. It was funny really, how two opposites come together. It was like their names, Yuki meaning Snow, Haru meaning Spring, two opposite seasons, but always next to each other. Winter and Spring, the warmth melting the cold. He never really thought about it before, but he guessed Hatori's saying really did have more meaning than he had thought. Tohru had told him about that phrase, spring melting away the snow, and at the time, he had silently agreed with Hatori. Tohru did melt away all the coldness, all the bad things, but now, that wasn't quite right. She was more like a comfortable flame in a homely fireplace, keeping him warm when he needed to be, just keeping the coldness at bay, but it wouldn't last. She wasn't his after all; she had her own life, and Kyo and Shigure and all the others to care about as she does. She has to share her flame with all the others she loves, but Haru, Haru was now definitely Yuki's Spring. If Tohru was a flame, Haru was a sun, because no matter how cloudy it may be, no matter how much the rain falls or how dark it gets, Haru would always be there, in background or waiting at the end, the warmth would always be around him.

..............._When on earth have I started thinking like this?! _

"Yuki, you alright?" Yuki glanced down to see Haru looking up at him, "You looked like you were thinking about something pretty hard."

In the twilight of the late night, Yuki could only see Haru's outline as his head lay on his chest, his eyes shining and picking up whatever light was left. Yuki smiled gently and snuggled down further so he was level with Haru, draping his arm over Haru's waist and closing his eyes, forehead to forehead. Doing something like this, Yuki had never seen himself doing this. He really had been cold until the spring melted the snow. Yuki smiled to himself as he slowly moved to brush his lips against Haru's, before snuggling back down against him.

"It's nothing," he said sleepily, ".........................what's your favourite season Haru?"

Haru opened his eyes and looked at the peaceful Yuki, clinging so close to him. It was a strange question, but, okay.

"Winter." He replied, closing his eyes just as Yuki opened his in surprise.

No, Haru couldn't have meant that as he thought, he was just looking into things to deeply. He wondered if Haru would get it if he told him spring was his favourite time of year but, eurgh, no, this was getting too sappy. Closing his eyes again, he simply hugged the one he loved closely, not letting go the warmth of his spring.

A few moment later however, he missed the small smile on Haru's lips.

-----

The next morning and there was only one and a half left days of school. Today would be the last for lessons, the teachers setting last minute homework for the holidays, the Sports teachers choosing the teams for next year, and then the following half day to clear things up, tidy the classrooms, and generally hang about until the bell at 12pm.

But first things first.

"You two stay the _hell _away from me!!"

The normally peaceful breakfast in the Shigure household...ahem, yes...was being interrupted today by Kyo. Shigure, Tohru, Yuki and Haru were all happily sitting at the table eating the delicious meal Tohru had one again provided them, but Kyo had decided, the moment Yuki and Haru had walked in, to remove his plate to the furthest corner to the room, sit down cross legged and ignore the whole lot of them. He had spent the entire night in mild trauma at what he had seen, entirely _not_ expecting to see 'that' as he walked past their open bedroom door. Ooo, revenge would be sweet! As he sat in his little corner, a certain item of Haru's tucked away safely hidden in his room, Kyo couldn't wait to get revenge on Haru for making him suffer the whole night with images he really did _not_ want to see!! With the reaction Haru had for just Kyo knowing about his item, for what he had planned, tomorrow was going to be one fine day!

-----

Walking to school should have felt just like any other day. The same pathway, the same time, the same people walking by.

"Haru...please, not here." Yuki pleaded, as he, Haru, Tohru and Kyo, Kyo keeping a well paced distance, walked up close to the school where Haru was trying to hold Yuki's hand yet again.

"I'm only holding your hand."

"I know but..." Yuki couldn't help keeping a sharp eye out for the students they walked by, most of them looking just slightly strangely at them every time Haru reached for Yuki's hand and Yuki would snatch it away.

Ok, Haru's goal for the day. Make Yuki hold his hand somewhere in the school and let at least two people see them. Hey, he was realistic, he'd start small!

"Hey Tohru." Said Uo, walking up the group by the school doors, "Nice day huh?"

"Mm, it's lovely." She cheered happily, pleased that the snow storm that had plagued them all had disappeared and the bright winter sun was back out again.

Last night Shigure had told her what had happened at the Hotspring, leaving out certain details, but still, Tohru got the point of it, and was so happy for Yuki and Haru she had decided to go shopping during lunch and buy lots of great things for a great dinner this evening. Haru looked so happy whenever he looked at Yuki, which to be honest was all the time as he never took his eyes away from him, and Yuki? Well, he may look shy whenever Haru tried to hold his hand, but she would catch a look in his eyes when one of the few times Haru wasn't looking at him, and the faint smile she would see just made her heart leap and melt at the same time.

------

"Settle done, settle down, there's only half a day left of lessons I'm sure you can all pay attention just for now." Said Yuki's teacher to his class, walking in and placing the books he was carrying down on his desk, telling his class to stop throwing paper aeroplanes at Kane and to sit back down. As Yuki walked past the teacher's desk to get to his own, the teacher looked up and frowned,

"Err Yuki, you can't wear that here, can you take it off please?"

At this statement every girl's head in the room, and Kane's too, shot up to look at Yuki to see what exactly he had to take off, hoping there'd be something in it for them.

"I'm sorry?" Yuki asked, having absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"The necklace, can you take it off please. You know there's no jewelry allowed at school."

Yuki felt the soft leather lace around his neck and the silver Kanji for the Ox hanging from it. He hadn't taken it off since Haru had given it to him, and he didn't really want to take it off now.

"Yuki?" the teacher said again a little more sternly as Yuki didn't seem to make a move to remove the necklace.

"Umm.." Yuki said quietly, not really wanting to have this conversation with his teacher, let alone having a deadly silenced class listening to his every word as well, "I'd...rather, not take it off. If I could please, leave it on it's…important to me." He slowly said, aware of every person listening.

"I'm sorry Yuki but you know the rules, will you please take it off?"

"Hey you let _him_ wear a headscarf, can't he keep one necklace?" said Uo, Kane suddenly brought into the conversation and looking at everyone else looking at him.

"Please don't talk back Uo."

"Yukiiii!!"

From Yuki, to Kane, now to the door, everyone turned to look at it now burst wide open and Haru standing the other side, Haru's teacher running after him.

"H-Haru?" Yuki said, worried that he was going to do something to embarrass him in front of his class yet again.

"Yuki, they didn't make you take your necklace off did they?" Haru asked hurridly, walking quickly up to his cherished one.

"Hatsuharu Sohma will you get back to class immediately!" shouted Haru's teacher, as she stormed into the classroom and grabbed his shoulders.

"Haru…careful." Yuki whispered at the proximity of his female teacher, but Haru was too intent on clinging to Yuki so they couldn't take his necklace off.

As she tried to pull him away from Yuki, Yuki's teacher noticed Haru wearing the Kanji for the Rat. So as he simply stood there and watched the struggle, he asked her, "Why do let him wear so much jewelry?"

"Oh there is really...not much point...in telling this one to take those off..." she said, still struggling to pull Haru away from Yuki, "...he puts them straight back on over and over again....I just let him....keep them on....although if he _doesn't_ let go of this boy I'll make sure he won't have any left to wear at all!!" She warned, practically pulling Haru's arm off trying to get him to let go of Yuki who he had clung to like a limpet, Yuki's eyes flittering around the room praying to whatever was out there to make Haru let go of him as every pair of eyes in the room were once again back on him. "WILL YOU LET GO HARU!!!" she screamed again.

"Don't make him take his necklace off don't make him take his necklace off!!" Haru said, almost sounding like a little boy having a tantrum.

"Okay okay he can keep it on!!" said Yuki's teacher, hoping that would make this scuffle in his classroom stop.

Haru immediately let go of Yuki as soon as those words were spoken, "Ok." He said perfectly calmly, and walked out the room, leaving his worn out teacher to stare at him as he disappeared.

As silence filled the air once again, once more all eyes fell upon Yuki, including the two teachers. Yuki was trying to think of something to explain this, but in the end, what could he explain about Haru? Without saying a word, Yuki walked back to his desk and closed his eyes as he sat down. With any luck, if he couldn't see everyone else, everyone else wouldn't be able to see him blushing.

------

As the bell rang to indicate the beginning of lunch, Yuki walked out of the classroom and hurriedly made his way to the lunch hall. He needed to get away from all those eyes just staring at him! At least in the lunch hall not all people would know about Haru's clinging-and-not-letting-go episode this morning. He knew he meant well, but didn't Haru have any sense of embarrassment at all?! Did he even know the meaning of the word? Because it would seem it wasn't even in his vocabulary!

It would also seem that Yuki had lost himself in his own little world thinking about Haru, because when the door on Yuki's left suddenly opened, a hand reaching out and grabbing his arm pulling him inside, he didn't even realise until a pair of familiar lips were pressed against his, and he snapped out of his day dream to see the dream standing in front of him.

Haru held Yuki against the wall in the classroom, kissing him so intensely that Yuki was too weak with pleasure to notice if the classroom was empty or not, he just prayed it was. For what seemed like forever, Haru finally pulled back and hugged Yuki close to him, his cheek against Yuki's soft silvery hair and his eyes close, relishing the closeness.

"It's strange, after spending every second of the last two days with you, not seeing you for just a few hours makes me sad."

Yuki's small smile reached his lips as he too closed his eyes, his arms wrapped around Haru, feeling nothing but warmth.

"Idiot." He said tenderly. As they stood there together, doing nothing but holding each other...

Kane thought this was probably the best time to quietly vacant the room as they obviously hadn't seen him when they'd rushed in.

-----

"Okay, as it's our last lesson of the year, let's make it a good match. Waddya wanna play?" said one of the Sport's teacher, Yuki and the rest of the class freezing to death out in the cold.

It was now nearing the end of the day, only one lesson after this, and the Sports teachers had decided to make them run about in the cold rather than finding something to do inside.

"How about 'Who can race back to the classroom first'?" Uo suggested quietly to Tohru and Hana, as she stood with her arms crossed trying to keep whatever slight bit of warmth was left.

"I'm afraid that would not be acceptable. I would be unable to win." Said Hana, her braids blowing in the winter wind.

As the two teachers went around the students getting suggestions on what to play for their last lesson, Yuki noticed in one of the school buildings nearby, a certain face peering through the window at him. Yuki suppressed a light chuckle, now Haru was spying on him?

"Okay girls, it may be the middle of winter, but, you wanted it I guess, so tennis it is, follow me and we'll get started."

The chatting girls followed the teacher towards the tennis courts, some eyeing Yuki in his sports gear before running to catch up with their friends, Tohru waving goodbye sweetly to Yuki and Kyo.

The second teacher stared walking too, "Right, boys, we've got Basketball!"

"YES!!"

The class stopped talking and stared at Kane's sudden and unexpected out burst, "Heh, sorry." Kane said, suddenly becoming very quiet.

Well, the first obstacle was out the way, Basketball had been chosen, but now came the even harder obstacle.

"Ok, Kyo, Yuki, you're the captains for today, choose your team."

Being an odd numbered class with the boys, he'd have to hope that someone actually choose him so he could play instead ending up running round the track while everyone else played instead, as he had done so many times before. So, as everyone stood on the courts waiting to be teamed up, Kane waited.

_Please choose me, please choose me, please choose me!! _he was silently pleading, as one by one everyone but him got picked for the teams.

Yuki wasn't being mean, being one of the captains, he was watching. Watching Kane who seemed so excited, but everyone ignoring him. Looking across at Kyo and the other team, obviously snickering that it would seem Kane would be left out yet _again_, Yuki frowned annoyed. _Give the guy a break._

"Kane."

Kane looked up from the fake interest in a piece of grass growing at the side of the court, and stared at Yuki wide eyed.

"What the...?" said the other guy next to him, unbelievingly that Kane had been chosen over him!!

Kane just gapped for a moment. Did he just get chosen to play? _No way!!_ With a big grin, Kane ran up to Yuki and stood with the rest of the team, amazed that someone actually wanted him here for a change.

"Umm, is it such a good idea to put Yuki and Kyo against each other?" asked one of the quieter boys on Kyo's team.

"Well, it makes any game more interesting." Said the teacher, as Yuki and Kyo glared at each other, ready to take on any challenge.

-----

"Ohhh, isn't he dreeeeamy?" sighed a girl standing by the tennis court with her two friends waiting for their turn on the court.

The three girls had a good view of the basketball court from where they were standing, and had been eyeing Yuki running around with the other boys and hadn't been able to look away from him.

"Oh yeeeah." Signed another, as the girls playing on court finished their turn and wandered over to wait, spying on Yuki and walking over with the others to watch the game.

"Ahem, excuse me but am I interrupting anything?" said the teacher sternly, as all her girls were no longer playing any tennis but standing by the fence watching the boys.

-----

"Well, I'm beat!" said one of the boys on Kyo's team, collapsing on the grass outside the court with three others, "Since when could Murasaki play like _that_?"

Over at the other side of the court, Kane was experiencing something he never had before. People cheering: at him. Being nice: at him. Smiling: at him. He wasn't sure why, just because he'd personally got their team 34 points it isn't that much, surely everyone else must be better than him.

"Good job everyone, especially you Kane, must have been practicing, very well done."

"Err, well…not really..." he said quietly, not quite sure how to respond to all these people around him being so happy all because of him.

"Ok, well as you know we need those who are interested to sign up for the team next year, so after you've all got changed go to the lobby and the book'll be there. Okay, that's it! Have a nice holiday and I'll cya next year!"

As the boys headed back to the showers, Yuki walked up next to Kane who walking behind the others.

"Well done." He said smiling, the smile that made Kane look away embarrassed, "I expect you're going to sign up for the team next year right?"

"No."

Yuki wasn't expecting that. Kane was having so much fun playing just now, why wouldn't he—

"The only reason I got to play today was because you chose me. You won't be there to put me on the team this time, so if I don't sign up, I don't have to have the humiliation of being turned down."

As he walked away, Yuki stood there for a moment watching him go. Yuki still couldn't figure this guy out, he wondered what made him so afraid of being turned down, maybe that was why he never tried to make friends before, afraid of being hurt, but why? There must be a reason. Maybe...

"Kane, can I ask you something?"

"Mmm?" Kane said, still walking.

"Your parents..." Kane stopped walking, "...What did they think when you told them about… how you are?"

For a moment he didn't speak, before he turned around with an obvious false smile, "My parents? Oh, my mum didn't mind at all, actually...she was, quite scarily happy...but hey, that was good for me!"

Kane turned round back again, his pace quickening as he tried to walk away without being to obvious. _Don't ask me, don't ask me about--_

"What about your father?"

Kane stopped again, but this time, didn't turn around, "My dad?" he said quietly, "My dad...wasn't exactly pleased. Things didn't turn out very well and...a couple of years ago he and my mum got a divorce." He turned around, smiling "But it's okay, it doesn't bother me anymore."

Yuki looked at him with woeful eyes, so that's why he never spoke to anyone before, he's afraid if he makes friends they'd just leave.

"Kan-"

"Yuki!"

Yuki froze as he saw Haru running towards him coming outside the main building.

"Huh?" Kane said, turning around just in time to see Haru flash past him and attach himself to Yuki, grabbing him into a bear hug so he couldn't see a thing and glaring warningly at Kane.

Kane rolled his eyes, "I wasn't doing anything." He said, before leaving Haru to swoon over Yuki who was desperately trying to get away for fear of someone seeing them.

As one of the boys waved Kane over to help them bag up all the basketballs and take them back, Kane guessed that Yuki really had taken his advice and got together with Haru after all.

......_Damn!_

To Be Continued...

AN: For those who don't know, Haru means 'Born in the Spring', when I found that out, and of course with Yuki's meaning of Snow, I was like, that is SO CUTE!!!

AAN: Ok, I'm about to say something that all of you will cheer for..........................the next chapter................................I'M TELLING YOU WHAT HARU'S ITEM IS!!! (can hear all the sighs of relief and watches everyone put away their threatening objects.)

HOWEVER!!!

After hearing that good news, I bring bad news. The finding out of Haru's item means only one thing.....................................the next chapter........................................IS GONNA BE THE LAST ONE!!!!! :( (watches as everyone takes out their threatening objects again).


	32. Black & White Heart

Thanks to my reviewers!

**Chibi Bailey**

**Hakudoshi-chan** – I actually originally wrote a lot worse past for Kane, but when I re read it, I was like, that is way too depressing for this kind of fic, so I re did it and put the whole divorce thing in instead. What REALLY happened, shall be between me and my brain! :)

**Jessiegurl43953 **– Ahh! Don't cry! As much as I'd like to continue I'm clean out of ideas! And thank you for being one of the reviewers who has kept reviewing right from the beginning in January!! :)

**Desolation and Restoration** – Not allowed to end it?! AH! I'LL BE WRITING FOREVER!! It would be complete drivel though because I can't think of anything else to write!

**Kage Ohkami** – lol To be honest I'd be _very_ surprised if someone did guess it correctly.

**Hatsu'woman**– I had a copied vcd of the series which only had the English on it, not the jap, then I bought the released dvd version so I got them both.

**Gia **– Aw, it's good enough to be re read!!

**Konie Hime** – (large sweatdrop) A squeal huh? Hmmm. And sorry but it's gonna have to be over at some point!! lol

**Ropponmatsu III** – lol Well normally I wouldn't have even warned you it was the last chapter, I just end my other fics, but seen as this one has so many reviews I thought I'd better give some warning this time, hehe! And yey! Kane pic! I love my Kane, and I rarely like characters that I've created, they never turn out right. LMAO No, it is not _that_ kind of item I'm afraid, it is an interesting item tho.

**Miss British Teacakes** – Actually that's what I was worried about, if I made this last for too long, now the whole confession thing has happened people might start to get a little bored. But that doesn't mean I've cut anything short, I'm still ending where I was planning on ending.

**C-chan** – As I said to a reviewer above, my original past for Kane was actually a lot worse, but when I wrote it it was like waaaaaay to depressing for this kinda fic, so I had to re write it again as it turned out. It was really very very sad what happened…………BUT HEY!! I'm evil and I'm not telling you what it is, MWHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!

**Saotome-kun** – Hmmm…..to give a hint of not to give a hint…..well the item, it is innocent, but also a perverted aswel…..now I bet that's left you confused cos nothing can be both of those things at once right?.........heheheeeee….

**Soul Catcher** – Oh for gods sake NO ROOF SCENE!!! Believe me I'd REALLY like to write the roof scene, but I can't write that stuff anymore!! Kane is a dude, yes, I love my Kane, hehe!

**Reioko** – Aw, I wanted to hurry but then that would mean there'd be no more!! Ah dilemmas of life!

**K. A. Maples** – Oh yes, 2d's are the only decent guys out there, it's such a shame.

**kaesaku** – I've become attached to Kane, hehe!

**KuroiCho** - ……..a goldfish…….riiiiiiiight… lol HMO, it has its own abbreviation now!!

**Akira Kurosawa** - …………ok, I'll tell you, it's not a rat plushie no.

**Sorrowful Memory** – (gathers up the goo and puts it in a jar to keep safe). Continued!! :)

**Kitsunes-Rose** – HAHAH!! Your army of sexy Bishonen cannot harm me!! For I am the President of the A.G.G.A. (Association for the Gorgeous Guys of Anime) ™ and have an army of Bishonen myself!! So let's just sit back, relax, and watch them battle it out.

**Moonlit Wanderer** – Damn spell check, makes more mistakes then clearing them up! That's all sorted now, thanks for pointing it out! And a sequel? ………..dunno just yet.

**D&G** – Hey YEAH! I shall tell her we need a Haru!! I will not let her return until she does! (smiles innocently with a knife hidden behind her back). Argh!! Well you all better not kill me before I finish the fic! Hang on, if your reading this then I have finished the fic…oh good! That means I'm not dead!!....but now I've finished it, so now they could kill me anyway….AHHH!! DON'T HURT POOR LITTLE INSIGNIFICANT ME!! I dunno about a sequel, I had one idea, but that's all it was, one idea, no plot or anything, kind of like the one idea where it would turn out to be a one-shot. I dunno, we'll just have to wait and see if I do a sequel. :)

**Madame Wood** – hehe, Lookie look! She does actually say that to Tohru in the episode she comes in! And no you CAN'T adopt Kane!! He's mine! He's mine he's mine he's mine!! (literally!!) so NURRR! (sticks tongue out!)

**foxgrl991**

**anonymouslyLabled** – LOL Illegal? I hope not, I'd be writing forever!!!

**SpringSnow** – lol Lemme finish this one first before we start talking about a sequel okay? Although mind you if this chapter is uploaded I guess I have finished….ahhhh but I need a break from writing!! I don't know if there will be a sequel, as I said to another reviewer above I had an idea for a sequel, but it's a really small idea that could be used for more like a one shot, so I doubt I'll really be doing a sequel unless I can think of something else. Even if I did it wouldn't be as long as this one though, phew!

**dude** – Thank you!! :)

-----

**Chapter 32: Black & White Heart**

Taking his snow covered coat off by the door, Shigure walked back inside his house and headed straight for his office, small paper package in hand. Sitting down at his desk and taking out the photographs from inside the packaging, Shigure fingered through all the pictures of Yuki and Haru until he got to a smaller selection of photos that he had taken last. Looking at each one, with a strange gleeful smile on his face, Shigure placed them spread out on his desktop.

"Ahh, I must show these to Aya." He sighed, looking at the pictures he and Aya had taken that night in the mud baths, "Ohhh, all the pretty girls…."

-----

"Bye everyone!"

"Cya tomrorrow! Last day!!!"

"Yeeeeah!!"

As the students filled out into the hallway as the final bell to end school rang out amongst the building, Yuki, Kyo and Tohru followed the rest and head for the main entrance to leave the school for another day.

"Oh…shouldn't we wait for Haru?"

"Forget Haru." Said Kyo, walking away out the doors, not wanting to walk with _Yuki,_ let alone Haru clinging to him, it was disgusting!!!

"B-but Kyo—" Tohru said, reaching out for him.

"Let him go Miss Honda, I think it may have been just a bit of a surprise for him." Yuki said, forcing a smile and deliberately not trying to remember Kyo catching Haru kissing him. Besides, he didn't want the filthy looks the cat would throw at him as they walked home, so both of them would be better off if Kyo just walked on his own.

"I hope Kyo's okay, what do you think has upset him?"

Yuki flinched.

"'sup?" said Haru, his bag slung over one shoulder as he walked over to join them.

Whether Haru was bothered about it or not Yuki couldn't tell, but he hoped he didn't mind Tohru walking with them. Yuki had started to feel guilty for not spending any time with her, not seeing her at all this weekend, so was going to make sure he walked home with her this time.

As they turned to walk through the main doors, Kane walked through ahead of them, obviously not seeing them, being followed by one of the boys in their class that was congratulating him after the Basketball match.

Yuki paused and watched him go, before an idea popped up in his head.

------

"Why'd you do that for him?" Haru asked, entirely not understanding why Yuki was being so nice to someone who had been trying to take his Yuki away from him!!

"I don't know," Yuki replied honestly, as he found himself holding Tohru's hand in one hand, and Haru's in the other, "For some reason I just can't stay angry at him."

Luckily the nearer they got home, the less people were around, so Yuki had pushed back any nervousness to the back of his mind and let Haru hold his hand. It was funny, in front of Shigure or Kyo or anyone else, he would point blankly refuse to let Haru do anything, from kissing him to even hugging him, but in front of Tohru, he just didn't feel embarrassed with her. Maybe it was because of the way she was smiling at him, as Haru moved from holding his hand to linking arms with him instead.

It was such a sweet smile, it almost made Yuki_ want_ Haru to be all sappy just so she would smile like that.

------

This was too freaky.

_Why won't this guy leave me alone?!_

Since Kane had left school, one of the boys in his class, one who was particularly excited after the Basketball match, had been following him home. Every time Kane would turn around to catch him out, the guy would obviously jump behind whatever was closest to hide…although a lamp post really doesn't hide that much. He'd start walking again, and once again he would feel that pair of eyes on his back, so would turn around to see the boy jump behind a dustbin, the metal lid clanking as he'd bump into it when hiding. Getting just a little pissed off now, Kane quickened his pace to get home and away from the boy who matched his pace and was refusing to back off.

-----

"My my, that was quite delicious Tohru!" Shigure complimented their chef on the fine and even tastier than usual meal Tohru had made for them.

Tohru sat at the table with a smile on her face, thinking it had been a good idea to go shopping at lunch to make an extra special meal for Yuki and Haru, not that they knew it had been for them, but Tohru felt nice she had done it anyway.

"Right!" Tohru chirped, getting up to collect the empty plates, "I'll just finish the dishes then-"

"Agh, Ill do it." Said Kyo, grabbing the plates before Tohru could and heading to the kitchen before she could say another word.

"Oh…ok."

Shigure smirked, he knew the _real _reason Kyo wanted to do the dishes, it was to get away from Haru trying to feed Yuki!

"Stop that!" Yuki would warn through clenched teeth as Haru held out a small piece of chicken held by the chopsticks towards him, but Haru would just smile at him sweetly and pursue with his quest.

----

"Kane…who is that outside?" asked Kane's mother, pulling the curtains to one side as she watched a young boy on the other side of the road standing there biting his bottom lip in nervousness. Every now and then he'd start to walk to the front door of the house, then seemed to chicken out and run back over to the other side of the road and just watch the house inside.

"He followed me home," Kane said as he sat and watched the TV, "he's just a guy from my class." He had begun to realise how annoying he must have been when he used to follow Yuki all the time.

"You should go say hello." She said, letting the curtains fall shut again and walking over to turn off the television.

"Hey! I was watching that!!"

"He's been standing out there for two hours, you should go and see what he wants." She said sweetly, taking a book from a side table and sitting down to read, indicating the conversation, in typical mother fashion, was over.

Sighing, Kane got up from the floor and wandered over to the front door, stepping outside. The boy on the other side of the road suddenly became flustered, looking around nervously to anything than Kane walking towards him.

"What do you want?! You've been out here for ages, go home!" he said sternly, wanting to get back up to his room to finish watching the TV up there if his mother was being annoying.

"Umm…I…well…I don't usual do things like this but…"

Kane frowned at him. Now up close he recognised him as Takeru, a boy in a group of four friends who always sat at the very back of the classroom. He was a pretty average looking guy, the usual short black hair just like everyone else, slightly shorter than Kane, though you wouldn't notice just by looking. Still, in the evening light, Kane couldn't quite tell, but…

Was this guy blushing?

"Look, I'm really sorry if I seem really weird by doing this but…" Takeru glanced up at Kane before looking away again, "Look…you were really cool in Sports today, I don't think even our teacher has seen anyone with that kind of talent and well… I was wondering…if…do-you-wanna-go-to-the-movies-with-me-tomorrow?" he said really quickly, staring at the floor.

Kane's frown soon turned into wide eyed shock. Did…did he just hear what he thought he did?

Was this guy asking him on a date?!

-----

_Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep_

A sleepy pair of eyes opened to the pale light seeping through the side of the curtains. Stretching his legs slightly, he turned over a little to switch off the alarm blaring in his ear from the desk. Turning back round, Haru snuggled against Yuki's back, his arm draping back over his stomach as he held his sleeping prince close to his chest. For some reason it had been an incredibly hot night, very surprising for the middle of winter, (Shigure grinned as he turned the temperature up in the house) and in the middle of the night, half asleep and probably not realising what he was doing or who was with him, Yuki had sat up and taken his night shirt off, flopping back down on the bed to try and cool down. Haru, eyes wide at the feast before him, had attentively nuzzled back over to him and pressed himself against Yuki's bare back, after of course taking his own shirt off so he could finally feel skin to skin, just for a little while so Yuki wouldn't get angry.

At least, that had been plan, unfortunately he had fallen asleep being so comfortable, and now realised that when he had turned over to turn off the alarm and turned back again, Yuki had too turned over and now lay facing Haru barely an inch apart. Eye wide just for a second at the shock of seeing Yuki suddenly so close, he smiled,

"Hello Yuki."

Yuki had a distrusting look on his face for a moment, as if he was trying to remember how exactly his shirt came to be on the floor and not on him where it should be, when it would seem he remembered and his eyes softened, and before he could blush at the loving gaze Haru was giving him, quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly though, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him as Haru hugged him from behind, and it was then when Yuki suddenly realised that Haru wasn't wearing a shirt either.

Ok, now he blushed.

-----

Kyo sat annoyed at Haru's lack of pissed-off-ness at the fact he still had his little item kept away from him. Now that it would seem that….eurgh, that Haru and Yuki were together, Haru didn't care for this little thing he held captive. Still, not only Haru, but even Yuki should get a good embarrassment out of this!

"Ah, the last day of term, how I remember those young Christmas holidays _so_ well." Shigure was saying, apparently off into a reminiscing moment, everyone disturbed by the equally disturbing smile on his face. "Ohh, but it's going to be so cold when I walk to the school later."

Haru and Tohru were getting their school things together by the door, Kyo sat leaning against a wall, while Yuki was mid-way putting his coat on ready to walk to school, when all four of them turned to stare at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kyo asked, arms crossed glaring across at Shigure.

Shigure blinked at him, "Oh didn't I tell you? I got a letter that had been delivered on Friday but I didn't read it till yesterday as we'd been at the Hot springs, it says there was a parent teacher meeting on the very last day."

"WHAT!?" screamed Yuki and Kyo together.

"Oh yes!" Shigure cheered, "It's always nice to know how my younger ones are coming along!"

"Who's going with who?" Haru asked calmly, apparently unfazed. Although perhaps that was a little put on, after all, normally his mother and father would go but…well. Yuki looked at him carefully, White Haru was very good for hiding emotions.

"Well," Shigure started, "Hatori said he would go with Tohru."

"Oh!! No he doesn't have too! I don't want to impose--"

"It's alright Tohru," Shigure said, knowing that she would get flustered over this, "He's the one who suggested he's perfectly alright with it."

"Oh…well, if you're sure. That's so nice of him!" she smiled.

"Mm hm, well, I'm going to go for Haru, Kyo's got Kagura—"

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

Kyo shot up from the floor and sped over to Shigure so fast there was a faint mark left on the flooring, "WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING ACTING AS A GUARDIAN!!?" he grasped a clump of Shigure's kimono dangerously tight as he glared venomously down at him.

"Well, she is two years older than you, so technically, she can be seen as your guardian."

"NO WAY!" Kyo screamed again.

"I'm sorry Kyo," Shigure said, although somehow his apology didn't really seem sincere, "The school's already approved it! She'll be sitting there with you talking through with the teachers!"

"NO! NO WAY!!! YOU'RE KIDDING!!" he bellowed unbelievingly. Not only had he had to put up with her for the whole weekend, but now she was going to get to see his school grades! She was going to make a complete fool of him!

"Settle down Kyo, it'll be fine." Shigure assured, although the slight snickering once again didn't make the reassurance very comforting.

"…what about me?" Yuki said.

"You? Isn't that obvious?"

There was a small pause as Yuki stared at Shigure, slowly but surely his eyes realising exactly who was going to going for him with the all too innocent smile on Shigure's face.

"No…" Yuki said, his eyes wide, "You wouldn't let…"

-----

"And so, as pleased as I am with his school grades, Yuki's recent indecent behavior is something that needs to be rectified. Don't you agree?"

"AHAHA!! Oh I don't think so! It's perfectly natural for a boy of his age to be a little curious, it's good to be proactive after all! It'll teach him new skills in life! Ones that are bound to come in useful for his future relationship!!"

Yuki's teacher stared incredulously at Ayame, as Yuki just looked to one side and hid his face in his hand.

This…was _not_ happening.

----

"Get out! Get out get out GET OUT!"

Yuki, ignoring the strange looks from the others students, pushed Ayame forcefully down the corridor and out the school main doors, "It's just not possible for you to be serious is it!?"

"But Yuki, I don't see what that teacher's problem was! You're a bright young man with curiosities just like everyone els—"

"SHUT UP AND GO HOME!" Yuki screamed at him, leaving him outside before slamming the school doors shut.

"Hm," Ayame said, blinking at the now shut doors, "I only suggested they should have a same sex relationship lesson!"

----

As Yuki walked back down the corridor, the redness in his cheeks from anger gradually fading, he passed Kane standing by their classroom door waiting for the student in with the teacher to finish so he could go in.

"Hello Kane." Yuki greeted.

"Yuki!?" Kane suddenly said, jumping out of his skin as Yuki walked up to him, his eyes darting around nervously.

Yuki noticed this reaction and frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Err…heheh…no-nothing I just…umm…" Kane continued to look around, almost making sure like no one was coming, "Listen erm, you better get away from me."

Yuki stared at him, "Why?" he asked, interested now.

"OOOOOoooOOOO! You're Yuki aren't you?!"

Turning around, with Kane practically having a fit at the person walking to wards them, Yuki saw what he presumed to be Kane's mother. She seemed pleasant enough, he wondered why Kane looked almost terrified.

"Mum…wait…please don't—"

"Here!! Come and give your future step-mother a nice big huuuuug!"

"What—" Yuki began, as she suddenly began to run towards him with her arms out stretched.

"STOOOOOP!" Kane yelled, luckily for Yuki swiftly moving in between them both before she could latch onto him, pushing her back by her shoulders.

"Mum please!! Don't be so embarrassing! Don't _hug_ him!!" Kane pleaded to his over ecstatic mother, "Go Yuki! Please! She's a lot stronger than she looks!"

Suddenly, the arms reaching behind Kane to grab Yuki wrapped themselves around Kane instead, as his mother held him close, "Ooohh your such a little sweetie honey," she said, rocking him from side to side in a bear hug, "Always thinking of your sweetheart first, ooooOOOooo it's _so cute_!!"

"He's not my sweethea- will you let go pleeeease!!"

Yuki, a little confused at what was exactly going on, but not staying around to let her hug him and making him transform, Yuki quickly walked away to the lunch hall where the other students who had already had their meetings waited for their classrooms to be free again.

-----

It was the last hour of the day, and the whole school had gathered in the assembly hall for the teachers to reel off the last announcements and notes of the term before the students were let loose on their Christmas holidays. As the students wandered in, sitting down with their groups of friends, Kyo stayed at the back of the hall waiting for most of the students to come in.

Now was time to his plan into action.

Taking out Haru's little item from his pocket, he tapped the shoulder of a girl at the back of the hall.

"Hey, you see the guy at the front with the white hair?" he said, pointing towards Haru who, because Yuki was at the very front to do announcements from the school committee, had managed to move up to the very front just a few seats away from him.

"Yeah?" The girl said.

"Do me a favour and pass this down to him would ya?"

He passed the item to the girl, and Kyo walked away. There was no _way_ curious girls could resist not opening_ that_ and taking a look!

The head master walked up the front and the school quieted down as he started off on the last assembly of the year.

For anyone who was paying attention to the head master, they wouldn't be able to hear the small gasps and giggles coming from the back of the hall, gradually making its way towards the front. Steadily a murmur of students began to start as the hall was paying more attention to this mysterious item being passed down to the white haired boy at the front, than even to Yuki who had just stepped behind the microphone to read off the details for events happening next year and any information the school president had to offer. But, now at the front and able to see all the students, Yuki noticed a lot of them staring at him, then giggling to their friends.

"Excuse…me…" said a girl, desperately trying not to laugh as she whispered to Haru, "I think this is…yours."

Haru looked behind him as the girl passed his long lost item to him. It took him a second to realise exactly why every face in the hall was either staring at him or at Yuki, before Haru's hand clenched into a fist. Kyo couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing at the back of the hall, which was quickly followed by an uproar of squeals from the girls, and dirty looks from the guys.

Yuki was utterly confused! What was everyone laughing at? And why did it seem like they were laughing at him?!

"Kyo….you…" Haru growled through clenched teeth, and before the teachers could get a word in edgeways to try and calm the ecstatic school, Haru through his item to the ground in pure fury and ran down the hall towards Kyo.

Yuki stepped down from the small stage up front and walked down to the item on the floor, ignoring, for the moment, what seemed like every girl in the hall blushing at him, while others started to crowd around Kyo and Haru at the back, where Haru was trying to pound the living daylights out of Kyo. Picking the item up, Yuki looked at the small book, only about 4 or 5 inches tall, with a plain white cover and a black heart on the front, and a black cover and a white heart on the back. Opening it up, the pages inside were the same, pages on the left where white, pages on the right were black. On each page, there was one little photo of Yuki.

But Yuki now realised why everyone was blushing.

On each white page, it would seem throughout the years, Haru had be writing down all the things he loved about Yuki, all the romantic things he'd want to do if they ever got together. Sweet things, like taking walks under Sakura trees as the blossoms floated to the ground, sharing ice creams in the summer, and all things that just made White Haru the gentle and kindly part of him.

However.

On the Black pages, was something that he now knew why Haru was trying to practically kill Kyo right now after showing it to the whole school, the teachers seemingly having no effect to spilt the two of the them up. On the black pages, written in a silver pen, was everything his Black side wanted to do, with and _to_ Yuki. As he flicked through and read some of the lines, he too started to blush at the words written, especially when the word 'whip' was mentioned several times. Snapping out of his blushing term once realising a lot of people were still staring at him, it would seem the cat was out of the bag. He couldn't really deny a relationship between the two of them any longer, not now everyone had seen this. As he looked down the hall to see Kyo kick Haru hard right at the shoulder, Yuki scowled. Walking swiftly down the gangway towards them, the crowd automatically parted for him to get through. There wasn't much he'd be able to do to calm Kyo down, but knowing Haru, they was one thing he could do to stop him.

So, in front of every student and every teacher in the school, in front of every pair of eyes, any parents that were left, even the caretakers, Yuki walked up to the fighting pair, shoved Kyo out the way…

And kissed Haru.

The hall went silent.

Kyo, jumping up off the floor, fists raised to fight back, stopped, stared, and lowered his arms.

They were _not _doing that _here_!?!!?

Haru stood there, the fury in his mind instantly subsided the second Yuki's lip's touched his. The entire school was staring at them, Yuki's teacher shaking his head not believingly the kind of stuff he had to put up with in his class. A moment later, Yuki slowly pulled away, his eyes looking softly into Haru's, and this time, it was Haru who was blushing. Had Yuki really just done that? If he had kissed him in front of the whole school, did that mean Yuki wouldn't mind holding his hand in front of others too?

"I believe this belongs to you." Yuki smiled, handing the book back to its rightful owner, as Haru took it shyly, embarrassed for his Black side as he quickly put it back in his pocket.

Seeing Yuki standing there in front of him, smiling and ignoring everyone else's expressions on the kiss he had just given him, Haru felt light and happy. It looked like the final step had been taken, Yuki didn't care what others thought of his love for Haru, he didn't care if people thought it was wrong, and it had been what Haru was waiting for. Even seeing his little item, all the secrets, especially his Black side had been keeping, it didn't seem to faze Yuki at all. He _really_ must love him now!

Haru took a small step forward and embraced Yuki warmly, the teachers ordering everyone back to their seats. As the crowd dispersed to carry on with the announcements, not that they would really be paying attention to that now, Yuki quietly whispered to Haru;

"I never knew you kept handcuffs."

-----

"Hey hey!! No sneaking out! You have to clean up this classroom before you can leave. Come on, it's only 10 more minutes!" said Yuki's teacher, just catching two of his girls trying to sneak early out while everyone else cleared up the classroom.

Well, most of them. Hana stood to one side and simply held out a bin for others to put rubbish in, while the members of the Prince Yuki fan club stood in one corner and cried that they had lost their fair prince. The only thing everyone was talking about while they cleaned is what happened during the last assembly. Most of the girls kept hanging around Yuki asking him all sorts of questions, Yuki just smiling serenely to himself.

"I was _definitely_ not expecting that." Uo said to Tohru as she helped sweep up the floor, "Did you know they were together Tohru?"

Tohru stopped sweeping for a moment and smiled, "Well, sort of, it's sweet isn't it?"

"If you say so." Said Uo, collecting her pile of dust and placing it in Hana's bin.

Suddenly, the classroom door was swung open and Takeru, the boy who had followed Kane home yesterday, walked in.

"Hey Kane, aren't you coming?"

Kane, in the middle of cleaning the white board up front, looked over his shoulder.

"…where?"

"Didn't you get the note?"

Kane stared at him, "What note?"

"You've been chosen for the Basketball team next year!!" he said excitedly.

Kane frowned at him for a moment before returning to the board, "I didn't sign up for that so it must be for someone else."

"Actually that's not quite true." Yuki said, joining this conversation. Kane stopped cleaning and turned back, "I put your name down for it yesterday, I hope you don't mind, but you seemed to enjoy it so much, it would be a waste if you didn't try for it." Yuki smiled.

Kane gaped at him for a moment, his hand halfway up the board holding the cloth. Suddenly the cleaning cloth feel from his hand, and ran up to Yuki, before skidding to a halt just in front of him.

"Actually, I would hug you, but I think _he_ might kill me." He said, pointing out behind Takeru at the door to Haru leaning against the wall on the other side glaring at him, just _daring_ him to touch his Yuki.

"So are you coming? They want a meeting before the end of school." Takeru continued, before Kane ran up to him, flashed a thank you grin at Yuki, and ran off down the corridor with Takeru.

The classroom was pretty silent before Uo spoke what everyone else was thinking, "….were they just holding hands?"

"Uh huh." Chorused the rest of the class.

The teacher sitting at his desk sighed, was his entire class turning queer?

-----

Walking home from school had never felt so good for Haru. He had his book back, he had Yuki, and more importantly, just as they had left the school gates, it had been Yuki who had reached for Haru's hand to hold on the walk home.

Life was now perfect.

Tohru walked behind them with Kyo, looking at Yuki and Haru's hands clasped together walking through the snow covered streets. She looked up when something cold fell on her nose to see a new snow cloud deciding to let its contents start to float to the ground, a soft fluffy snow that fell gently around them. She knew Yuki would fall for him eventually, anyone could see how much Haru loved him, she just knew they would be together eventually!

------

"No…Haru wait…I…"

"Shh…I won't hurt you…I promise."

"I know…but still……ooohhhhhh…"

"Ah… oh Yuki…"

"Oh…oh that feels…."

Shigure knelt outside Yuki's room, his ear once again pressed to the door, eyes wide listening to something he thought can't be what he was thinking was happening. He'd already made the mistake of jumping to conclusions last time he sat here listening through this door, which put him in an embarrassing position at the disappointment that they weren't doing what it sounded like they were doing.

Getting up from the floor, Shigure shook his head. He really must stop thinking they were doing things like that, he was only going to get into trouble again. Walking back towards the stairs racking his brain to try and think what they _really_ must be doing, he was a little bit worried with that, what they were saying, he couldn't think of anything else that they _could _have been doing other than…

_Oh my,_ Shigure thought in a realising surprise. _Perhaps…perhaps they really had been… _Turning back to look at their door as he took one step down the stairs, he grinned, _Oooo, I must tell Aya!_ As Shigure continued to ponder how he would phrase this news to Aya, lost in perverted thoughts as he walked down the stairs, he missed the small giggles coming from Yuki's room.

Yuki and Haru sat at the edge of their bed, watching Shigure's shadow move away from the light under the door indicating he had stopped eavesdropping on them.

"Heh, I can't wait to see his face tomorrow." Haru said, as he and Yuki had known Shigure had been there all along and was making out that they were doing exactly what Shigure was bound to think they were doing, when all along they had just been sitting there and trying not to laugh in between the role-playing.

"Shame it couldn't have been the real thing though."

Haru had expected Yuki to turn to him with a shocked face for saying that out loud so calmly, but when he looked at him through the corner of his eye, Yuki was looking at him and smiling tenderly, a soft blush on his cheeks.

Yuki was too happy to have found someone like Haru to love him, he knew Haru well enough to expect these kinds of teases now anyway. He didn't want to be with anyone else, Haru would be the only one he would ever love, he was sure of that.

"What are you thinking about?" Haru asked, seeing the far away look in Yuki's eyes.

"Just you." He answered quietly, "Just that I want to stay with you forever."

Haru's eyes softened as he looked upon the only one he wanted, the only one that he'd allow himself to love. Yuki slowly raised his left arm and ran his hand through Haru's hair, before leaning in to kiss him gently. Funny, so long he had denied himself the one thing he wanted, the one thing that was so desperately trying to be with him, and now, as far Yuki was concerned, once the snow had melted, Spring was the only thing to rule.

------

Shigure sat at his desk, written notes for his new novel in a scattered pile on his desk. Hands on the keyboard getting ready to start his new masterpiece, he smiled at the photos of Yuki and Haru that were on the other side of his desk. Their first kiss, walking to school together, the blushes he'd catch on Yuki's cheeks, and the hug Yuki had given Haru at the Hotspring when Haru had told him about his parents, the picture that Aya had taken. Amongst those and others, they really had helped Shigure with his research for his new novel.

After all, how can you write a story called 'Black & White Heart', without Haru and his only love for a template?

**The End**

An: It may be the end, but there is an epilogue, READ ON MY FRIENDS!!


	33. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Umm, excuse me."

A gentle winter wind softly ruffled Yuki's hair as he looked up away from the bunch of flowers he was thinking of buying from this outside stall, and looked over to a blushing girl standing to his left.

"Yes?"

The girl stood there nervously, twiddling her fingers together, "Umm...I...I've seen you around here before and...and I was wondering...if...if you'd like to go out with me?" she stuttered, "Your really gorgeous and you seem so nice I...I just..."

Yuki watched her blushing before he smiled softly. "Thank you. I'm very flattered, but I'm afraid I already have a boyfriend."

The girl looked up at him then down at the floor, "Oh...okay."

The girl walked away and round the corner back to her home, turned down and disappointed. But it wasn't long before she stopped, looked up, eyes wide, and exclaimed,

"......A _BOY_FRIEND?!"

-----

It was Christmas day in the Sohma household, and Tohru had been working hard to make the perfect Christmas lunch for her new family. Shigure had spent most of the early morning putting up mistletoe on everything people could possible stand under, and now stood by the phone chatting away to Ayame planning on him coming over later in the day. Kyo had actually offered if he could do anything to help Tohru with the lunch, and when he received a no thank you, spent the rest of the morning taking _down_ the mistletoe that Shigure had put up.

"Well how are our little lovebirds today? Caught under the mistletoe yet?!" Ayame cheered down the phone.

"Oh they've been gone most of the morning," said Shigure, "I don't know where they've gone, but I have a pretty good idea."

-----

Holding the snow white roses Yuki had bought from the open stall round the corner, he walked through the gates of the graveyard yard heading down the pretty pebbled pathway that had been cleared from snow. Walking past other graves and families visiting their departed ones on this special day, Yuki walked over to one grave situated by a little frozen pond in one corner surrounded by large box bushes, each with a layer of snow like icing on a cake. Walking over to Haru who was sitting on a bench that was right next to it, Yuki sat down next to him, both sitting in silence for a moment.

"White roses...they mean peace, I thought they would be good ones to buy." Yuki said, handing the roses to Haru who took them gently.

Waiting for a moment, Haru slowly got up from the bench and knelt down in front of the grave, putting the roses next to the stone engravings. A moment later he rose from the ground, Yuki getting up and walking next to him, both of them looking down to the grave of Haru's father.

"He'd like them," Haru said, "He used to get them for my mum all the time."

Yuki watched him for a moment, a smile, both sweet and sad, as he looked at his father's resting place. Slowly, Yuki wrapped his arms around him and held his head to his shoulder, which made Haru's sad smile turn into a true smile. After everything that had happened, all the pain that he had gone through, it felt nothing compared to the love he felt for Yuki. As long as Yuki was by his side, he could do anything! He kept him against himself, his savior, as Yuki looked down to the grave.

_I'll look after him,_ he promised, a promise to himself and Haru's father.

He'd never let go of Haru, and no one could take him away. After all, Spring and Snow belonged together, always side by side;

And no force could ever change that.

**The Beginning.**

The sequel (if I ever get round to writing it) will be posted on mediaminer . org ……some pretty sensual stuff included….let's say ff . net removed it when I posted it on here…mwha ha ha!


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